


Fairy Tail: Homecoming

by Navek, xpegasus12



Series: The Fairy Mythos Series [2]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, F/M, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-21
Updated: 2019-01-13
Packaged: 2019-05-09 21:55:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 143,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14724279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Navek/pseuds/Navek, https://archiveofourown.org/users/xpegasus12/pseuds/xpegasus12
Summary: After their grueling encounter with the Holy Crusaders, Team Morningstar returns to Magnolia and find that a lot has changed. They have a new guild hall, a new master, and even some new members. But they also have to deal with new enemies. Some from within their guild, some from their past, and others they can only begin to comprehend. Second Story in the Fairy Mythos Series!





	1. Homecoming

**Author's Note:**

> The Fairy Mythos Series is a non-profit fanfiction series.
> 
> Fairy Tail and Fairy Tail Series II are all owned by A-1 Pictures, Satelight, Bridge Madman Entertainment, Funimation TXN, Kodansha, and Hiro Mashima.
> 
> Any original characters and concepts are owned by Navek or xpegasus.
> 
> Please support the official release.

_Chapter 1: Homecoming_

_**Magnolia…** _

"Home, sweet home." An exhausted Zeke said as Team Morningstar returned to their hometown. And after nearly a month of trekking through forests, a mountain range and an emotionally and physically draining detour, walking through the familiar streets was like a godsend. However, Lucy did notice that a few of the stores had flower-themed decorations in their windows.

"What's up with the stores?" Lucy asked. The other four looked around and realized what was going on.

"They're just setting up for the Harvest Festival." Alyssa explained.

"Oh. You know, I've never been to a Harvest Festival." The Celestial Wizard stated.

"It's super fun!" Natsu said with excitement. "There's exotic food booths, a parade and all kinds of cool stuff."

"Aye!" Happy said in agreement.

Hearing this made Zeke ponder something for a bit until his face contorted in disappointment. "Oh no."

"What is it?" Lucy asked, catching her team leader's gloomy mood.

"Mister Fairy Tail." He grumbled. "Every year, the guild rotates between male and female beauty pageants. And this year it's the guy's turn."

"He's just grumpy because he never wins." Alyssa whispered to Lucy. Eventually, the five wizards made it to the front steps of the guild hall. And much to their surprise and delight, the construction of the new building had finally finished. The new facility looked much more like a castle in its design, even including a gate in front of the building.

Zeke opened the gate and saw a bunch of his fellow wizards chilling, eating and drinking on some tables on either side of the pathway.

"Look who's back!" Gray cheered as he was enjoying lunch with the rest of Team Maelstrom.

"You guys sure took your sweet time with that mission." Elfman said as stood up and held his fist up. Zeke bumped it and just sighed.

"Things got...complicated." The archer explained.

"Now there's a surprise." Erza said sarcastically as she chowed down on some strawberry cheesecake.

"Good to see ya too, tin can." Alyssa greeted her rival with a smile.

"We have a cafe now?" Natsu asked as he drooled over the food he saw.

"Yup. And it serves boozes!" Cana cheered with a half-empty mug in her hand.

Lucy looked around and saw that near the cafe was a stand with various gifts and knick knacks with the Fairy Tail mark on them. Manning the shop was a young man with a bowl cut of light brown hair and black eyes.

"Do we really need a gift shop?" She asked.

"Hey there!" The man greeted with a smile. "Glad you guys made it back okay. What's new?"

"They got you working the gift shop, Max?" Happy asked as he flew towards the counter. "It's been awhile since we've seen you around the guild."

"Well, Master Makarov made me you go back to school 'because he wanted me to take some business classes." Max said. And as he spoke, Lucy finally remembered what he looked.

"You're Max Alors! I've read all about you in Sorcerer Weekly!" The blonde fangirled while Natsu, Alyssa, and Zeke bumped fists with the aforementioned wizard.

"Yes, ma'am. That'd be me. And I've heard a lot about you, Ms. Lucy." Max said with a cheeky smile, which made Lucy worry about what kind of crazy stuff he heard about her.

"So what kind of merch do you sell here?" Alyssa asked.

"We've got t-shirts, wristbands, mugs, towels, and of course, there's our most popular items." Max explained before pointing to a display that held figurines of Fairy Tail's most famous wizards. From Laxus, Team Maelstrom and even Lucy, the stand had figurines of all of them. Except for one noticeable absence.

"Where's my figurine?" Zeke asked as his teammates inspected their own dolls (Lucy in particular freaking out at her figurine's poseability and removable clothes).

"Some blue-haired lady bought all of them. In fact, she bought all of your merchandise." Max said, smiling as he thought about the large transaction.

"Oh, gee. I wonder who that could be." Natsu taunted while Zeke just coughed with a blush on his face. Afterward, the team went inside and saw that the inside of the guild had also be fixed. They even added a stage near the back.

"Pretty." Happy said in awe of the new guild hall. But as his fellow teammates were in awe, Natsu just had his head in his scarf and his arms crossed.

"Natsu?" Alyssa asked in concern.

"I'm not good with change." He grumbled with a hint of sadness in his voice. And as soon he said that Alyssa immediately understood what was wrong with her boyfriend. Not only was he still processing a lot of hurtful revelations from their last mission, but now the place that had been pretty much home to him was completely changed. So with a calming smile, Alyssa pulled her boyfriend into a one-armed hug.

"Don't worry. You still got me." She said. And hearing that was enough to make Natsu smile under his scarf.

"Zeke! Lu! It's so good to have you back." Levy said as she waved at the team.

"Hey, Levy." Zeke greeted his ex before looking around the hall. "You guys went all out with the reconstruction, didn't ya?"

"I know. Isn't this awesome?!" The bookworm said with excitement. "Guess what. Now we have swimming pool behind the bar and a game room down in the basement!"

"Oh cool!" Happy said in excitement.

"But the biggest change is upstairs because now everyone's allowed to go up to the second floor." Levy explained, motioning to the second level. The team looked up and saw Nab looking over the job request board, still as indecisive as ever while Ur waved at them from the second floor. "The new master let's more of us go on S-Class quests. But only if an S-Class wizard agrees to go along."

"Woah, that's pretty...wait, new master?!" Zeke asked in shock.

"Oh, Mavis! Please don't say Laxus is the new guild master!" Alyssa asked in horror.

"Well, I'm glad you dunderheads made it back safely." The six turned and saw Makarov, Lyle and Juvia walking towards them.

"Makarov, who's the new master?!" Natsu asked quickly.

"You're looking at him." Lyle said as he pointed his thumb at himself.

"When did this happen?!" Lucy asked.

"Technically, I appointed Lyle as our new guild master a month ago. But we figured we'd save the official announcement until the new guild hall was finished."

"So you finally retired, huh gramps?" Natsu said with smirk since Makarov couldn't boss him around anymore.

"Yes, but don't that means I won't smack your butts when you make fools of yourselves," Makarov said with a smirk that terrified Natsu and Lucy.

"Way to go, Dad!" Zeke said as he and his father shook hands. "Does Mom know about this?"

"Yup. Oh and by the way, son." Lyle said as his glasses gave off a sinister glint. "You and I are going to have a serious talk about collateral damage. Understood?"

"Y-yes sir." The young archer had stuttered before his eyes laid on a familiar rain woman. Juvia had gotten a new blue and white dress that showed off her shoulders, a necklace with a blue version of the Fairy Tail mark on it, and a new blue & white hat with a water swirl on it. But what stood out the most to the archer was the fact that Juvia had apparently cut her hair to a shorter and more manageable size. It was no longer in curls but short and straight, just reaching the end of her neck.

"Welcome back, Zeke." Juvia greeted with a smile and courtesy with her dress. The brunette looked at her, and a bright blush came over his cheeks.

"Wow. Juvia, you look...wow." The archer stuttered out, in turn making the water wizard take on a light blush of her own.

"I figured that since I've joined a new guild, I might as well try a new look." She explained while twirling some hair on her finger. "Do you like it?"

"Ya...um, I mean yes." Zeke stuttered while scratching his cheek and looking away.

"Geez, get a room you two." Alyssa taunted, making the two blush even more.

"They looooove each other!" Happy said with his usual smirk.

"We've also added three more new members while you guys were away." Lyle stated to ease his son's embarrassment. "In fact, you guys might recognize them."

"I wonder who it is?" Happy asked as the five looked around. They did this until their eyes found three people that were shocked to see. Lucy gasped as Zeke yelled out, "You got be f*&king kidding me!"

Indeed, the three new members of Fairy Tail were none other than Gajeel Redfox, Robin Valalanca, and Natalie Sabre. Otherwise known as Phantom Lord's Unholy Trinity.

"Gajeel!" Natsu yelled out with a growl as he held his fists out.

"What the hell are these freaks doing here?!" Alyssa asked as she got into a fighting stance.

"Calm down!" Juvia pleaded, standing in between the two groups. "I asked them to come along with me."

"Besides, you c(&ksuckers owe us." Natalie said as she polished off one of her rings.

"We owe you? You guys wrecked our guild hall and crucified three of our friends!" Zeke said as he prepared to summon his bow while Lucy placed her hand on her Celestial Arm's hilt.

"Ya and you guys destroyed our guild, got our master arrested and put us out of a job." Robin said with a glare. "So all of us screwed up."

"You started it!" Natsu and Alyssa yelled.

Makarov was about to say something before Lyle spoke up. "Look, it's true that we were once enemies. But they had nowhere else to go. No other guild would take them, and I wasn't about let them starve on the street. Beside, Juvia vouched for them."

Zeke looked at his crush and asked, "Is that right?"

Juvia nodded before answering. "They were the only friends I had in Phantom Lord, so I couldn't just turn my back on them."

"Besides, if I'm okay with them here, then you guys should be too." Levy said, growing a bit nervous from all the tension and unaware of the dirty looks Jet and Droy were giving the Trinity from afar.

"Listen up, ya losers." Gajeel grumbled as he stood up and glared at the five. "The only reason we're here is to get work. I can't speak for my friends, but I hate this stupid guild and everyone in it. But times are tough, so we had no choice but to take the old stone up on his offer."

"Please stop calling me that." Lyle grumbled.

"Look," Robin said as she stood up and walked towards Team Morningstar. The group tensed until she held out her hand to Alyssa. "I know we've had...problems in the past. But I'd rather we be allies then enemies. Or at the very least be able to tolerate each other."

Alyssa looked at her once enemy's hand for a moment before sighing and shaking her hand. "Don't think this makes us friends."

"I'm not asking to be friends." The fedora-wearing woman replied. "Although…."

In a flash, Robin unbuttoned the first few buttons of her top (showing that her guild mark on her left breasts) and gave Alyssa a seductive smile. "I wouldn't find being f*&kbuddies."

The Fairy Tail wizards all turned white at this declaration (although Natsu had a bit of a nosebleed) until Robin was covered in chains and pulled back by Natalie.

"Not helping, Robin. Seriously." The green-haired girl grumbled.

"Ya damn pervert." Gajeel said with a face palm.

"You guys never let me have any fun." Robin said with a pout.

"I need a freakin' drink." Zeke said in exacerbation before heading to the bar, Juvia following him.

"You're not mad, are you?" The water wizard asked worryingly.

"A little bit." The archer replied. "But...if they're your friends, then I guess can't be that bad."

The two reached the bar and sat down before ordering their drinks. "One rum and Coke."

"I'll take a strawberry daiquiri." Juvia ordered.

"Coming right up." Much to Zeke's surprise, it was Reginald wiping beer mugs behind the counter instead of Mirajane.

"Reggie? You're a bartender now?" The brunette asked.

"Well, Mira wanted some time off, and I figured I'd earn some extra cash in between jobs." The dirty blond stated as he pulled out a bottle of rum from underneath the counter.

"Wait, Mira asked for time off?" Zeke queried in confusion. This was odd, since whenever Mirajane wasn't modeling for Sorcerer Weekly, she would usually work as a barmaid.

"I know. Shocking isn't it." Reginald agreed as he continued to prepare the drinks.

Back with the rest of Team Morningstar, they were sitting at a table and contemplating all the new information. But suddenly, the lights of the hall went out, and curtains of the stage opened. Two spotlights turned on and showed Mirajane and Alexander on the stage with the Star Liberators behind them. Mira was wearing a yellow dress and holding a guitar in her hands while Alexander was dressed in a black tuxedo and sitting in front of a piano. Marianne and the rest of the Star Liberators also had a variety of instruments on them.

"Mira! Hey!" Alyssa said as she waved to her best friend.

"You guys made it back." Mira said into a floating mike with a smile.

"Good on ya!" Alexander cheered for teammates before addressing the other guild wizards. "Now, I'd like to dedicate this next song to a very special girl in heart."

Mira just giggled as the song started up.

(Music Que: Hikaru Nara English Cover by S.B.R.M.P.N.Y)

As the melody became louder, Mira started to sing the song lyrics.

_Mira: Just like a rainbow bright and warm after a hazy summer storm_

_Flowers blooming fresh with drops of dew_

_Alexander: Watching you stare into the sky in the crimson sunlight_

_That's when I fell in love with you._

_Mira: Each moment in a picture frame_

_I'm holding on no single shot will ever fade_

_Alexander and Mirajane: The movie of this love every part deep within my heart_

_You are the spark my light in the dark_

_Brilliant and bold through the night_

_Bright as the sun no matter what comes_

_We can be stars if we shine_

_Don't ever hide those feelings inside_

_Whenever you're sad or you're blue_

_When you can't cope don't ever lose hope_

_The stars shine their light over you_

_Every wish we've made has brought us here together_

_Til forever_

_Underneath the stars and moon and sun we look to the future as one_

(Music End)

After the song had finished, the two wizards and their band were greeted with a roaring applause. After taking a bow, the group moved backstage and started to put away their instruments.

"You were phenomenal out there, angel." Alexander said as he wrapped his arms around Mirajane's waist. The white-haired barmaid just gave a bashful blush and tapped his chest.

"Oh stop. I wouldn't have sounded as good without you backing me up." The barmaid said as the two looked into each other's eyes and put their noses together, Eskimo kiss style.

"So…" The two embracing wizards turned and saw Alyssa standing her hands on her hips and a smirk on her face. "When did this happen?"

"About a week after you guys went on your mission." Alexander answered.

"Okay, you've got to tell me everything." The amazon said with a smile towards her best friend while in her mind she was saying, 'It's about time you got yourself a good man, Mira.'

Meanwhile, the stage was being cleared for the next performance. As this was going on, Natsu noticed that Gajeel was missing from the Trinity's table and the two ladies were placing plugs into their ears, confusing the salmon-haired wizard.

The spotlight turned on once more, and much to everyone's shock, the performer on stage was Gajeel wearing a dapper white suit, a matching hat, sharp shades and was holding a metallic guitar in his hands.

"What?" Zeke asked flatly as he took a sip of his rum.

"Wrote a tune I call 'Best Friend.' Would you like to hear it?" Gajeel said, attempting to sound smooth. "Well, here it goes."

And even before he started playing, various Fairy Tail members begun to boo and throw stuff at him. And then he started 'singing.'

" _You're sparkling and colorful,_ Shooby _Doo Bop! Ya caught my eye like a shining piece of metal so cold!"_

"He's not half bad." Elfman said, seeming to be one of the few people enjoying the song.

"Show them what you can do, Gajeel!" Juvia cheered in support for her friend while Reginald held two beer mugs to his ears to prevent himself from hearing the song.

As Gajeel continued to sing and throw in random 'Shooby Doo Bops,' Natsu covered both of his ears in agony. "Man, this has the worst song I've ever heard!"

In retaliation for that, Gajeel threw his guitar and hit Natsu square in the face. "YOU WANT A PIECE OF ME?!" The fire dragon-slayer yelled out as he got back up.

The two dragon slayers then leaped into the air, their kicks colliding as Gajeel yelled, "Shooby Doo Bop!"

"I've had enough shebodeba!" Natsu exclaimed as the continued to fight.

"It's Shooby Doo Bop, ya moron!" The pierced man yelled back.

The continued to fight until Natalie threw a beer mug that hit Natsu's cheek. "Which one of you wise guys threw that, huh?!"

"I did. You want to do something about it, Pinkie?!" The tracksuit-wearing woman said as she slipped on a few rings.

"Bring it on, mosshead!" Natsu yelled as his head lit on fire.

"Natsu!" Gray shouted as he stood up, accidentally making Erza drop the piece of cake she was eating. "Would ya quit screwing around?!"

"Here we go." Zeke said as he and Reginald took cover behind the bar.

"He made me drop my strawberry cake." Erza cried out, only to be horrified as Elfman stepped on it.

"Now listen up! If you were real men, you'd take this outside!"

"Watch it, you oaf!" Erza yelled out as kicked Elfman into the air.

And just like that, a massive fight once more erupted in the Fairy Tail Guild Hall with various spells, weapons, and attacks flying all over the place.

"Not again!" Makarov and Lyle cried out.

"Does this usually happen?" Juvia asked in fear as she peaked out from behind the bar.

"Unfortunately yes." Reginald and Zeke replied as a spear barely missed their heads.

But as the chaos continued, Natsu looked around the brawl (even spotting Alyssa and Erza grappling with each other) and smiled. "Now it's starting to feel like home."

"Quit smiling!" Gajeel yelled as he socked Natsu in the face with an Iron Club.

_**And then…** _

"Good night, guys." Zeke said to his teammates as they headed to their homes. After hours of fighting, cleaning up and catching up with their friends, the guild hall had finally closed, and the wizards of Fairy Tail were retiring for the night.

"See you tomorrow." Lucy said with a wave as Happy walked by her.

"Ya, see ya." Natsu said as he and Alyssa left holding hands. Earlier, the talking cat had mentioned to Lucy that with all that had happened, Natsu and Alyssa could use some alone time together. As such, the blonde Celestial Wizard had agreed to let Happy stay the night at her place.

Eventually, the dragon-slayer and speed wizard arrived at the man's cabin and started getting reading for the night. As they were changing, Natsu turned to Alyssa.

"Alyssa?"

"Ya?"

"...Do you still love me?"

The amazonian woman said nothing before going up to Natsu and pinching his cheek. "What kind of dumb question is that? Of course I love you."

"Even knowing about...you know?" Natsu asked as he held his head down, his eyes becoming sullen as he thought of his recovered memories. However, he then felt Alyssa wrap her arms around his shoulders, and he looked up into her purple eyes.

"What happened in the past doesn't matter. You're still the same kind, goofy, caring fireball I fell for." The orange-haired woman said with a sincere smile. In return, Natsu gave his own. Not a smirk like he usually had, but a genuine smile.

"I'm the luckiest wizard in the world." He said as he leaned up, placing his lips on hers. The two closed their eyes as their kiss became more heated.

As for what happened next, let's just say it involved clothes coming off and lots of loud noises. And in the afterglow of said events, the two lovers slept silently and contently with Natsu's head resting on Alyssa's bosom.

In another part of Magnolia, a young woman was checking into a local hotel. Her outfit consisted of a dark red t-shirt, a pair of jeans that covered her left leg but was cut off on her right leg, black combat boots, matching orange wristbands on her wrists, and a dark brown cabbie hat on her head.

She had spiky burgundy hair that stopped above her waist, golden eyes, slightly tan skin, and a cut running horizontally across her nose & cheek. The only luggage she had on her person was a single large duffel bag strapped over her shoulder.

"You in town for the festival?" The front desk clerk asked as the woman signed in.

"Actually, I'm here to see family."

"Ah, I get ya. My brother's got a fish mart in Hargeon. It's a bit of a hassle to visit, but it's worth it."

"Well, let's hope all goes for me. I haven't seen my brother in...forever." The woman said with a long look on her face as she finished filling out the paperwork.

"Trust me; he'll just be happy you made the trip." The helpful clerk said as he gave her the keys to her room. "I hope you enjoy your stay!"

"Thank you." She replied with a warm smile as she headed for her room. As she left, the clerk started to look over the paperwork and read the woman's name;

Hoshi Katagiri.

_To be continued…_


	2. The Battle of Fairy Tail

_Chapter 2: The Battle of Fairy Tail_

As the sun was setting in the distance, Lucy had just finished her bath and had gotten dressed. And as she combed her hair, her eyes wandered to the keys that were resting on her nightstand. She had given the red key to Alexander but was unsure whether or not she should form a contract with the gold spirit that Crux had identified as Pisces. After all, Gerome had claimed to have slain their previous holder.

"Still thinking about it, huh?" Lucy turned and saw that Loki had manifested himself on one of her chairs with a concerned look in his eyes.

"You know, you could ask before you just decide to step through the gate all willy nilly." Lucy said with a hint of annoyance before thinking back to Pisces. "So, have you talked to them?"

The Lion Spirit nodded before saying, "Their contract ended Gerome killed their previous owner. So they're free to forge a new one."

Lucy picked up the gold key, but still felt a hint of uneasiness. What could she say to a spirit that lost their partner? However, the blonde decided she had nothing to lose and held the golden key (the end of which was made of two fish and had an anchor-shaped end) out in front of her.

" _I call upon thee in the world of the Celestial Spirits. I beckon you to my side at once. Pass through the gate!"_

As the blue magic circle appeared beneath, Loki smiled before disappearing back to the Celestial World with complete faith in Lucy.

" _Open, Gate of the Paired Fish - Pisces_!"

And from the gate emerged not one but two spirits, one man, and one woman. The male had brown skin, blue eyes, a silver headband with a black jewel in the center, silver hair, a seashell necklace over his bare torso, and black & light blue pants. In his right hand was a trident.

The woman also had blue eyes but pale skin, long dark blue hair and a light blue outfit with white shells that covered everything except half of her breasts and stomach. However, both of them did possess fish-like qualities like the fins that served as their ears.

"You must be Miss Lucy." The woman had said before she and the man bowed. "We are Pisces, at your service."

"Nice to meet you." Lucy said with a bow of her own. "And my condolences to...well…"

The male fish spirit knew what she meant and grit his teeth. "That ax swinging freak didn't even try to fight Mama and me. He went straight after poor Tate."

"Look, we can't change the past." Mama Pisces said to both her son and her new wizard. "So all we can do is move towards a better future."

"Right." Lucy said as she pulled out her notepad and began to ask the two about themselves.

Meanwhile, in the town of Shiratsumei, two wizards were standing guard in front of their guild hall. The two were dressed identically with matching shades, black handkerchiefs covering their mouths, black jackets with matching pants and shoes and spiky purple hair. Each of them was also holding a rifle in their hands.

"Dude, you wanna hit that new mutton joint after our shift?" One of them asked.

"Come on, man. You know my girl put me on a diet."

"Weak!" The guardsman said as he stared off into the distance. However, his attention was caught by three strangers approaching the guild hall. "Um, dude, are we expecting visitors?"

"We're an illegal guild, dumbass. What do you think?" The other guy said as he cocked his rifle.

"Attention, assholes!" The other guy yelled as the three continued to approach them. "Step one foot closer, and we'll shoot your asses full of lead!"

In response, the two were blasted through their front door by green explosions, alerting the rest of their guildmates as the three walked in.

"This is the dark guild Ghoul Spirit, right?" A lanky man with long green hair with lightning-shaped tips on top, green eyes, a dark red and white double-breasted coat, black pants underneath, white boots, and a blue rapier strapped to the left side of his belt asked.

"Who wants to know?!" A woman yelled out.

"Rumor has it that your guild has been hoarding a Mother Golem." The green-haired man stated. "And we want it."

"F&*k you!" One of the dark wizards yelled out before he and his buddy charged at the intruders.

"Such vulgarity." The woman with tied light brown hair, glasses, a dark green dress with a wing-like cape, black leggings, a red necklace and white shoes said as the two charged. In her hands was a large red fan. "Then again, it's to be expected from a lowly pack of rats."

She then lowered her glasses, revealing that her blue eyes were now glowing with gold outlines. And as soon as she looked at the charging wizards in the eye, they flashed and were then turned to stone.

"What the hell?!" A shocked Ghoul Spirit wizard shouted.

"You'll pay for that!" An angry wizard proclaimed as the entirety of the guild charged at the three intruders.

"Come on, babies…" The third intruder started as he spread his arms out. His rather bizarre outfit consisted of a full body black suit with white stripes that covered everything but his lower jaw, metal grating covering his eyes, skull emblem shoulder pads attached to his outfit via purple straps, a light blue skirt with Xs, baggy dark blue pants, and metal boots. "Let's party!"

Five little wooden totems with various expressions flew out from behind the masked man and started firing green magic blasts at the dark wizards. And as his 'babies' continued their barrage, the man just chuckled.

"I think that's enough, Biskslow." The green-haired man stated, much to the masked man's disappointment.

"But they still haven't told us where the golem is." The masked man retorted.

"Then we'll just have to search the building for it." The green-haired man said as he stepped over some unconscious wizards. One of the guards from earlier managed to look up and see a green Fairy Tail mark on the coat-clad man's right hand. He looked and saw that woman had the same mark on her upper right breast and the masked man had a black version of the mark on his tongue.

"F*&king Fairy Tail." He groaned before passing out, and the three intruders started to search the building for the Mother Golem. Outside, Laxus was observing Ghoul Spirit's guild hall from a nearby cliff with a cocky grin on his face.

 _"There's nothing I can say to make you and others reconsider, is there?"_  A projection of Reginald asked.

"No there isn't." The blond man stated as he stood up. "After this all over, our guild won't be a joke anymore."

The lightning then noticed a displeased look in Reginald's eyes.

"Don't worry. Erza will have a place in the new Fairy Tail." Laxus said.

_"And Zeke?"_

"Like we need that smartass. His team's caused more damage to Fairy Tail's reputation than anyone else." The scared man stated as lighting circled him. "We need to make an example of them."

_**Four days later…** _

"Thanks for the suit, Giuseppe!" Zeke said as he exited his tailor's shop with a zipped up suit bag over his shoulders.

"No problem, Ezekiel!" A kindly old man stated with a smile. "Now, you'll tell me if that blue bella Juvia likes it, right?"

"We'll see." The brunette archer said as he walked through the streets of Magnolia, the Harvest Festival in full swing. Everyone was in a jovial mood as people from all over Fiore had come to visit the hometown of Fairy Tail and to see the famous Fantasia Parade. As he saw the people shopping in the stands, he couldn't help but smile. He also smiled because this would be the year that he'd finally win the Mister Fairy Tail contest. After all, Loki was taking a break this year to reconnect with fellow spirits in the Celestial World. So now his only competition was Gray.

'I just need to be more charming than he is sexy.' Zeke thought to himself with a clenched fist and fire in his eyes.

"Zeke!" The archer turned and saw a familiar black-haired man waving to him.

"Kageyama!" Zeke said as he greeted the former dark wizard with a handshake. "You finally made parole?"

"Yup. Got it early for good behavior." The shadow wizard stated as before looking around. "Hell of a time to visit, huh?"

"Got that right." The brunette replied as the two started to walk towards the guild hall.

"So...is that offer to join Fairy Tail is on the table?" Kageyama asked.

"It never wasn't." The archer stated. "Although, you are going to have to speak to the new guild master."

"Makarov's not the Master anymore?"

"You got a lot of catch up on."

In another part of town, Hoshi was looking over some staffs at a magic weapon stand. She took hold of a silver staff with a purple orb at the end.

"You like that?" The one-eyed stand owner asked. "Top of the line Gravity Staff. It can alter the gravity to whatever you want it to be."

"How much?" The auburn-haired woman asked.

"83, 000."

"Damn." Hoshi said in disappointment as she looked away. And when she saw who was walking the streets, her breath stopped. Natsu, Alyssa, and Happy were sampling various exotic food stands, smiling as they did. Hoshi tried to walk towards them, but she couldn't bring herself to move.

"Hello?" The stand owner asked. "Miss?"

"I'll...I got to go." The hat-wearing woman stated as she placed the Gravity Staff back on the rack and watched as the three Fairy Tail wizards headed for their guild hall. This was a problem Hoshi had been having for nearly the past week. She wished she could just march up to the guild hall and say, "Hi, Natsu. You may not remember me, but I'm your big sister, Hoshi." But every time she tried to walk to the guild hall, she would end up freezing up in the street. After all, in all of the interviews Natsu had done for Sorcerer Weekly, the only family Natsu had ever mentioned was the Fire Dragon Igneel. Plus, his last name was now Dragneel, not Katagiri.

So either Natsu didn't remember anything about their family, or he did and wanted nothing to do with it. And honestly, Hoshi couldn't blame her little brother if that was the case. Hell, there were times where she wanted to forget that horrible night.

'Dammit, I can't keep chickening out! I traveled all this way to see him!' The cabbie hat wearing woman yelled mentally. With determination in her eyes, she clenched her fists. 'I'll tell him today! No matter what!'

Back with Natsu, Alyssa, and Happy, the three were enjoying their feast with gusto.

"You guys gotta try this Teriyaki steak!" Alyssa said before going back to eating her meat on a stick.

"Atr. Mn stll wking n is ub!" Natsu said with a mouth full of meatball sub while Happy chowed down on some sushi.

"Nice to see you guys haven't changed much." The three turned and saw a young man around their age with black hair (which wisped onto his right side), black eyes, a prominent pair of lips, a zipped up red and orange jacket, a black belt with a yellow buckle, white pants, brown boots, and a bag slung over his back.

"Hey, Warren." Alyssa greeted her fellow wizard with a fist bump. Natsu finally swallowed his food and did the same.

"We haven't seen you in a while." Happy stated.

"I figured I'd take a break to enjoy the Harvest Festival." The jacket-wearing visit.

"You know, you can take a break from all the jobs more often." Natsu stated.

"Hey, not all of us can handle the big monster fighting quests." Warren joked as the four started walking towards the guild hall. "So, what's happened since I last visited?"

In yet another small part of town, the Unholy Trinity was currently in the middle of a shopping spree. Robin and Natalie each carried a single bag while Gajeel was acting as a pack mule, carrying at least thirty bags on his person.

"How come I have to carry all this crap?" The Iron Dragon-Slayer grumbled.

"Come on, Gajeel. A true gentleman should always be willing to carry for their lady friends." Robin taunted.

"Since when do you two count as ladies?" Gajeel shot back. In anger, Natalie turned and kicked her friend in the crotch, only to reel back in pain. "Nice try." The black-haired man said with a smirk.

"You cheater!" The green-haired ring wizard yelled as she hopped on one foot.

"It ain't cheating if you're prepared." The dragon-slayer smirked. The three former Phantom Lord wizards decided to cut through the park as a shortcut, but much to their surprise, Team Shadow Gear was standing in their way. Jet and Droy looked downright pissed off at the three while Levy looked on in worry.

"'Sup?" Robin asked nonchalantly. The hat-wearing wizard and his compatriot said nothing and just continued to glare at them.

"You gonna say anything or are ya just gonna glare us?" Gajeel asked in annoyance.

"We got a bone to pick with you guys." Jet stated, specifically looking at Natalie.

"You think we'd accept you guys as our guildmates after what you did us?" Droy asked.

"Look, tweedle-dee and tweedle-dumb, we just want to enjoy the festival like everyone else." Robin stated with a raised hand. "Besides, it's not like you guys could really do anything to us."

"What'd you say?!" Droy yelled in anger.

"You only beat us because you took us by surprise!" Jet exclaimed.

"Sure, keep telling yourselves that." Natalie boredly stated as she picked her ear.

"Guys, don't do this!" Levy said. "They're part of the guild now. They won't do that again."

"Guess we know who's smart one on your team." Robin taunted.

Jet just growled before taking off in a blast of super speed. However, the Trinity managed to dodge the high-speed kick and Natalie slipped on one of her rings.

" _Bind!_ " The tracksuit-wearing girl said with a wave. Suddenly, several magic circles appeared around Jet and ensnared the orange-haired wizard.

 _"Secret Seeds!"_  Droy yelled out as he tossed some enchanted seeds from his pouch. The seeds quickly burrowed into the ground and grew into large fist-shaped stalks.  _"Knuckle Plants!"_

As the fist-shaped plants blasted towards the Trinity, a small magic circle appeared over Robin's gloves.

 _"Wire Slice!"_  The fedora-wearing wizard proclaimed before waving her hands and cutting the plants to pieces with her magic wire. She then looked at Droy, who was starting to get nervous and sweaty. "Are we done here? I mean, as much as I'd love to keep humiliating you again and again, we got things to do."

Droy growled and was about to reach for his pouch, only for Levy stop him by grabbing his arm. "Levy?"

The blue-haired woman just shook her head at her teammate before turning to the Trinity. "Sorry for all of this. We won't bother you again."

The three former Phantom Wizards looked at each before Natalie snapped her fingers, freeing Jet from the chains.

"If you two try that shit again, we won't go easy on you." The green-haired girl stated as the three walked past Team Shadow Gear. She then turned to Levy. "You should really keep your dogs on a tighter lease."

'They were holding back?!' Jet yelled in his head while Droy looked at the passing wizards in fear. Levy on the other hand only looked at the three with a sad look in her eyes.

'We're not even on their level.' The solid script wizard thought to herself in sadness.

_**And then…** _

"Welcome, Ladies and Gentlemen!" Mirajane exclaimed as she stood on the guild hall stage, welcoming several visitors. The white-haired barmaid was currently wearing a sparkling black dress and holding a microphone in her hand. "I hope you're all ready for the one and only Mister Fairy Tail Contest, where the guild's top studmuffins show off their stuff!"

The gathered crowd (mostly the women and a few of the men) cheered in excitement. Meanwhile, the contestants for the competition were all getting ready backstage.

"You know, hearing Mira actually say studmuffin is almost as much of a reward as the prize money." Zeke stated with a smirk as he started to change into his suit behind a curtain.

"And now I owe Cana 400 jewel." Elfman growled as he stacked several cinder blocks on top of each other.

"I'm Mirajane Strauss, Transformation Wizard and Fairy Tail Centerfold!" Mira introduced herself with a cute wink. "And I'll be your host for this astonishing event!"

"Kick their asses, Natsu!" Alyssa cheered.

"It hasn't even started yet." Lucy said with a giggle at her friend's excitement. The two female members of Morningstar were currently sitting at a table with Juvia, Cana, and Erza. In the crowd, Hoshi was also watching, wanting to actually have a shot at talking to Natsu and also being curious about this whole contest.

"Now, let's meet entry number 1!" The barmaid/host exclaimed. "The dual-wielding desperado with an almost impeccable aim, Alzack Connell!"

The black-haired gunman slowly walked onto the stage, his spurs clanking with each step. With a look of determination, Alzack pulled out several canisters and tossed them into the air. And within seconds, he already had his pistols out and chanted,  _"Guns Magic: Ricochet Bullets!"_

With impeccable speed, the Guns Wizards fired in multiple directions. The enchanted bullets proceeded to bounce off tables, support beams, the bar, and the stage before piercing the canisters, which exploded into miniature fireworks. As the crowd cheered, he proceeded to look at the crowd (specifically at Bisca), and coolly blew out the smoke from one of his pistols.

"So cool." The green-haired gunwoman swooned with a blush on her face.

"On to entry number 2!" Mira proclaimed as Alzack left the stage. "You might want to duck for this one! 'Cause the next contestant is bonafide pyromaniac! Give a hand for Fairy Tail's Salamander, Natsu Dragneel!"

The fire dragon-slayer quickly ran onto the stage. His outfit consisted of his scarf wrapping around his forehead, a lei (which was the only thing he had on his upper body), black and red swim trunks, two large sticks with wicks on each end in his left hand, and a music lacrima in his right. Suffice to say, there were quick a few nosebleeds and catcalls from the crowd, the loudest of which was Alyssa.

"Here's a little something I learned on Galuna!" Natsu stated as he activated the music lacrima, which began to float next to him. The crystal orb soon started to play some fast-paced tribal drum music as Natsu began to swirl one of the sticks with his hands. He tossed the stick into the air before breathing a stream of fire upwards, igniting one end. He caught the stick and started to spin it with one hand before grabbing the second stick and tossing it into air, also setting one end of fire with his fire breath.

Now with two flaming sticks in his hands, the salmon-haired man managed to ignite the other ends of the sticks as spun them. As the tempo of the music grew faster, so did the speed at which Natsu was twirling his flaming sticks. After a few tricks, the fire dragon-slayer tossed the sticks in the air. And as soon as he grabbed the sticks and held them out, shooting massive flames from the sticks and his upward mouth that formed into the shape of a dragon.

As the fire subsided, the crowd cheered while Hoshi looked on with a smile.

'He really is a great wizard.' The hat-wearing woman said as her little brother left the stage.

"Our next contestant is a real man among men, and the best little brother anyone could ask for! Let's give a hand to Elfman Strauss!"

The aforementioned Take-Over Wizard arrived on stage in his usual attire with the addition of a headband with the word "GUTS!" on it. Next to the white-haired man was a tower of fifty cinder blocks. The tall man stood behind the tower and closed his eyes. After taking in a deep breath, he opened his determined eyes and screamed out, "MANLY HEAD SMASH OF GLORY!"

And with a manly yell, Elfman smashed his forehead against the top of the cinder blocks, creating a loud bang that echoed throughout the guildhall, Hoshi herself being shocked that a human being would actually attempt that. The white-haired man removed his forehead from the blocks with nary a scratch. At first, nothing happened. Then cracks started to form all over the cinder blocks before breaking up into a pile of rubble and ashes.

"That's how a real man uses his head!" Elfman boasted as he grabbed one of his biceps. And as the crowd was cheering in excitement. Hoshi, however, had a rather unique response to this.

'That was so hot!' The burgundy-haired woman mentally exclaimed as blood shot out of her nostrils.

"Contestant number 4 might be new to Fairy Tail, but his magic is S-Class! Say hello to the Iron Dragon-Slayer, Gajeel Redfox!"

The curtains pulled back and revealed Gajeel in his white dandy suit and, much to many people's horror, he was holding his guitar.

"Oh, crap!" Alyssa yelled while Erza dropped her fork in shock and Cana spat out her beer.

"Here's a little number I call 'Iron Baby.' Here we go…" The pierced man stated as he held up his strumming hand.

"You suck!" Natalie yelled before Gajeel even started, making him scowl.

"Take off your top!" Robin yelled out.

"Shut up! You're ruining my grand debut!" The black-haired man yelled at his friends.

"If you want to win, you shouldn't sing!" The ring wizard exclaimed, causing her male friend to grit his teeth as anyone familiar with Gajeel's 'music' (aside from Juvia, Macao, and Wakaba, who legitimately liked it) started booing and throwing stuff at him. In his rage, Gajeel smashed his guitar against the stage and left, all while flipping everybody off, much to the confusion of the visitors.

"Um….Gajeel Redfox, everybody!" Mira said with a sweat drop. "Our next contestant with a talented ice wizard as cool as his magic! Give it up for the four-time Mister Fairy Tail winner, Gray Fullbuster!"

Upon hearing his name, several of Gray fangirls cheered in excitement as the still-clothed Ice Wizard walked onto the stage, much to the annoyance of a particular card wizard.

With a confident smirk, the black-haired man conjured up two magic circles in front of his hands. He raised his right hand and created a massive spire of ice on the right side of the stage. With a wave of his left hand, he did the same to the left side of the stage. He then thrust his arms behind him (removing his jacket in the process) and created a large wave of ice behind him. He then held up his hand and snapped his fingers, causing the ice to break into a lit snowfall around him. Also, he had somehow removed his shirt during all of that. And with one last wink to the audience, nearly all of the girls (and a few of the guys) started cheering Gray's name.

"Cana, you okay?" Alyssa asked her friend, who was sporting both a blush and an unhappy pout on her face.

"Just dandy." She said jealously.

"You know, if you just asked Gray out, you wouldn't have to worry about losing him to his fangirls." Erza stated.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" The brunette said before quickly chugging her beer.

"Please, everyone can see you like him." Alyssa stated. Cana looked at her friends and saw that Lucy and Juvia were nodding in agreement. And since Juvia had only joined the guild weeks ago, that was saying something.

"...Is it that obvious?"

Meanwhile, a few of the guys were grumbling backstage as they heard the cheers of Gray's fans.

"Looks like Gray's going to win again." Alzack stated.

"He's not even that manly!" Elfman yelled out in anger while Gajeel grumbled about Fairy Tail wizards having no taste in music.

"Our final contestant is an S-Class Archer with his bow set on your heart! Give it up for Ezekiel Hudson!"

"You're up, dude!" Natsu said to his friend. The archer ran out from behind the curtain and headed for the stage.

"It's my time to shine!" Zeke stated as he slid onto the stage, revealing his new attire, which caused a blush to appear on Juvia's cheeks. His outfit consisted of a black buttoned-up vest, a white dress shirt underneath, black striped dress pants, black dress shoes, a black suit jacket with long coattails, white cuffs, his Ascension gloves, an emerald tie, a pair of goggles around his neck, and a new pendant hanging on his left wrist. The new pendant looked like a pair of blades within a pentagram, the green gem acting as the connecting point of the blades.

After brushing his hand through his hair and giving a confident smile (which did nothing to help Juvia's blushing), the archer held his left hand out, and the gem glowed. In a flash of light, Zeke's new bow manifested in his left hand. Unlike his previously used longbow, this emerald bow was metallic with both ends resembling curved blades with a black handle in between them and a string connecting them. He pulled the string back, creating three magic energy arrows and aimed upwards.

" _Arch Shot: Fireworks Arrow!_ " He released the arrows above the crowd, which exploding into fireworks that took the form of several shapes, including the Fairy Tail guild mark, an Arrowhead, and an image of him winking. And as the crowd looked in awe, Zeke pulled a rose from within his jacket and fired it near Juvia. The water wizard picked up the rose, and the archer gave a flirty wink, causing her to swoon.

"And now, for the grand finale…" Zeke stated as he grabbed the grip with both hands.

"Contestant number 7!" A female voice shouted, interrupting Zeke's performance and confused everyone.

"There's no number seven." Mira stated, confused as she double-checked the contestant list. From behind the curtains came a certain brunette woman.

"Either men or women, I am the only one in this guild who fits the definition of Fairy." Evergreen stated her fan in front of her face. "Therefore, the winner of this contest is me, the lovely Evergreen!"

"Um, Evergreen, this year is the Mister Fairy Tail contest. Next year is Miss Fairy Tail." Mirajane said with a sweatdrop.

"Ya, so don't mind, get off the sta…" Zeke started to say before seeing the woman pulling her fan down, revealing that her eyes were glowing. "OH SHI…"

And before Zeke had time to turn away, his body flashed and turned into solid stone, shocking and confusing the crowd.

"Zeke!" Juvia yelled in worry while Lucy looked on in shock and Alyssa grit her teeth.

"You know, if didn't such a mouth on you, you'd actually be quite the catch, Ezekiel." The self-proclaimed fairy taunted the now stone archer.

'This is bad.' Mira thought to herself before addressing the audience. "Everybody, run! Get out of here!"

In a panic, all of the visitors (sans Kageyama and Hoshi) ran out of the guild hall, leaving only the members of Fairy Tail within. And as they ran out, Reginald (who had been acting as barkeep) gave a heavy sigh before walking out of the bar.

"What do you think you're doing, Evergreen?" Lyle in anger. "Turn my son back, now!"

"You're ruining the festival for everyone!" Makarov exclaimed, also enraged.

"On the contrary," Evergreen stated as the curtain started to rise behind her. "I think things are just getting interesting.

When the curtain had fully pulled up, it was revealed that the other five contestants had also been turned to stone, each of them having a look of horrific realization.

"Who the f*&k is this bitch?!" Natalie yelled, angry over Gajeel's condition.

"Natsu!" Alyssa and Happy exclaimed in horror. Hoshi was also shocked at the pyro's condition, holding her hands over her mouth.

"The hell is going on?!" Kageyama asked in confusion.

"Turn them back, or else I'll you force you to." Lyle said with gritted teeth, barely concealing his rage. But as he said this, a thunderbolt blasted onto the stage before transforming into Laxus.

"Well, looks like all your fans decided to head home." The cocky blond stated. "Pity, 'cause the party's about to start."

"I should've known." Makarov said as Erza looked around the Guildhall and spotted Freed and Bickslow sitting on the upper levels.

"Who are these guys?" Lucy asked in fear.

"The Thunder Legion, Laxus' personal guards." Cana answered as she reached for the cards in her pocket.

"This is bad." Warren said with sweat running down his forehead.

"Come on, let's have some fun!" Laxus exclaimed.

"Laxus! As the guild master, I order you to turn them back!" Lyle shouted.

"You better watch your temper, ya old stone." The blond man said before conjuring up and thundercloud over Zeke. "You could end up breaking something."

"Laxus, stop!" Makarov yelled as a massive bolt of lightning shot from the cloud, hitting the space right next to Zeke.

"Bloody coward." Alexander gritted as he reached for his pistol.

"Let me make this real simple for you idiots," Laxus stated as he placed his hand on the petrified Zeke. "Break the rules, and I break them."

"What the hell do you want?!" Alyssa yelled in anger.

"Simple, I just want to play a game." The Lightning Wizard stated as Freed and Biskslow jumped onto the stage.

"I've always wondered who was the strongest in the guild." Freed said. "Now it's time to find out."

"Ya, let's have some fun!" Bickslow exclaimed.

"Fun! Fun!" His 'babies' echoed as the floated near him.

"There's only one rule!" Laxus stated. "Whosoever left standing in the end is the winner! It's a Fairy Tail Battle Royale!"

"You…" Alyssa growled, forming cracks on the table as she gripped it. "YOU ARROGANT PRICK!"

The amazon blasted forward in a burst of super speed, but before she could even reach the stage, she was struck down by a massive lightning bolt.

"Still not faster than light, I see." The blond man stated, still giving off his smirk.

"F*&k you." The orange-haired woman groaned as her limbs felt paralyzed from the attack.

"He didn't even flinch." Lucy said, shocked that Alyssa was taken down that quickly while Happy tried to tend to the stunned woman.

"Naturally, if you want me to turn the guys back to normal, you're going to have to defeat us first." Evergreen stated.

"But those odds aren't bad." Bickslow chimed in. "There's five of us and like a hundred of you guys."

"Lots of you! Lots of you!" His 'babies' echoed again.

"Five of them?" Erza asked before seeing Reginald walk onto the stage, staring back at his fellow wizards with no visible emotion on his face.

"No." The redhead whispered before her face contorted in anger. "Reginald, don't tell me you're part of this too!"

The bespectacled man said nothing as he turned his face away, making the requip wizard shake as her mind drifted back. Back to when she was betrayed by...him. The hurt she had felt that day almost matched what she was feeling right now.

"You have three hours and not a second more." Evergreen explained as she held up three fingers. "After that, these handsome statues of yours will be turned to dust."

"All of Magnolia will serve as the battlefield. The fight will begin when and if you find us." Laxus stated.

"How dare you?!" Lyle exclaimed as he tapped on one of his wrist gems and turned his skin into gold.

"I will not stand for this!" Makarov yelled as he grew to giant size.

"Now, now, simmer down, ya old-timers! It's all part of the festival, right?!" Laxus exclaimed as the former and current guild masters charged at them. He turned into blinding lightning and proclaimed. "It'll be fun! LET THE BATTLE OF FAIRY TAIL BEGIN!"

When the wizards could finally see again, they saw that the Thunder Legion had vanished, leaving the statues behind. As everyone started to process all that had happened in the last five minutes, Erza clenched her fists and raised her sword.

"Everyone, let's show the Thunder Legion what happens you mess with our comrades! Charge!" The redhead ordered. Soon enough, the majority of the Fairy Tail guild charged out of the guild hall, ready to fight for their friends, including two non-members.

'You guys saved me from a dark place.' Kageyama said in his head as he ran out the door. 'Time to return the favor.'

'Natsu.' Hoshi thought as she charged ahead with a look of anger on her face. 'I couldn't protect you before, but I swear on my life, I won't let these monsters kill you!'

"Alyssa, are you alright?" Lucy asked, helping her friend up.

"Ya, Laxus' magic is starting to wear off." The amazonian woman said before looking up at the stage, particularly at Natsu and Zeke. "They'll pay for this."

Lucy and Happy nodded in agreement before the remaining members of Team Morningstar rushed out.

'I already lost Lisanna.' Mirajane stated as she also ran out, thinking of Elfman. 'I'm not going to lose you, too!'

"They'll pay." Juvia whispered as a murderous aura radiated from her. "THE THUNDER LEGION WILL PAY FOR HURTING MY PRINCE!"

As Juvia ran out, Natalie looked on in shock. "Woah. I've never seen Juvia this anger."

"Come on, Nat." Robin stated, her fedora casting a shadow over her eyes and her wires shining as she pulled them. "Those douchebags aren't going to mutilate themselves."

"Right." The ring wizard replied before the two ran out.

With everyone almost gone, Lyle looked down at Makarov, who had his head down in shame. "Master."

"I should've done something about Laxus long ago." The short man stated before turning to face the exit. "I'll stop that insolent brat with my own two hands!"

But before the former and current guild masters could head out, their attention was stopped when they saw Ur, Wakaba, Macao and a few of the older wizards seemingly pushing against an invisible wall.

"What're you guys doing?" Lyle asked.

"There's something preventing us from leaving." Ur stated. Makarov attempted to run out, only to hit something invisible.

"What the?!" Makarov groaned as he tried to move past the entrance to the guild. Lucy heard this, turning around and noticing the five older wizards stuck.

"Makarov?" Lucy asked as she went towards them. "What's going on?"

"There's some kind of invisible wall." Macao stated as all five of them attempted to push against said wall. Lucy reached past it and attempted to pull Lyle through, to no avail. But as she struggled, her eyes spotted glowing purple runes in the air above the entrance.

"It looks like some kind of writing." The Celestial Wizard stated.

"It's one of Freed's enchantments." Wakaba said as he started to read the runes.

"What do you mean enchantment?" Ur asked.

"It's a magic barrier formed by runes." Lyle explained. "Anyone who steps inside is bound by their rules. And the only way to escape to obey them."

"So what're the rules for this one?" Lucy asked as she looked up at them.

"Stone statues and anyone over the age of thirty shall not pass." Makarov read.

"So you guys can't breakthrough?" The blonde asked.

"I'm afraid the rules of the enchantment are absolute." Lyle said with a sigh. "Looks like you guys are gonna fight this one without us."

Lucy then away from the older members and gripped her Celestial Arm with a look of determination on her face. "You guys fought tooth and nail to protect me. I won't let Laxus tear this guild apart."

And with that, the blonde wizard ran off to search for the Thunder Legion.

"Look's like we gotta rely on them for now." Ur stated.

"Can any of them even stand up to Laxus?" Wakaba asked.

"Erza perhaps." Makarov stated, saddened at the recent turn of events. As the older generation contemplated about the chaos that was sure to come, none of them noticed the fingers of one of the statues twitching.

Meanwhile, the majority of the Fairy Tail wizards were running through town, searching for the Thunder Legion. This included Cana, who turned a corner and saw Mirajane looking around.

"Find anyone yet, Mira?" The Card Wizard asked, only for the white-haired barmaid to shake her head. "Damn it!"

"I still can't believe Laxus would do this." Mira said with saddened expression. "I know he was kind of a jerk, but I didn't think he'd resort to this."

"Come on. Let's keep looking." Cana stated. However, the two women then noticed two walls of runes forming around them. "What the?!"

"This must be Freed's work!" Mirajane stated as words started to form on the walls. As they came together, Mira read, "Only the wizard who proves themselves the strongest is allowed to leave this barrier."

"The hell is that supposed to mean?!" Cana asked as Mira held her head down. "Do they expect to fight each us to fight each other or something?"

"Cana…" Mira whispered, getting the brunette's attention. "I'm sorry."

The white-haired woman raised her head up, revealing a look in her eyes that no one had seen in years.

"Oh, crap." Cana said in fear, quickly pulling out her cards.

Back at the guild hall, new runes started to form on the wall.

"Battle of Fairy Tail Status Report?" Lyle asked in confusion.

"It says Cana vs. Mirajane." Wakaba read off.

"Is this some kind of joke?!" Makarov yelled.

"Why would those two be fighting?" Macao asked.

Less than a minute later, the runes changed again.

"The winner is Mirajane." Ur read. "Cana KO'd."

It was with this that older members of Fairy Tail came to a startling revelation. When Laxus said this would be the Battle of Fairy Tail, he meant it. Back to Mirajane and Cana, the barrier had come down, and white-haired wizard walked away with tears in her eyes. Cana in the meanwhile groaned as she laid unconscious in a pile of wall rubble.

And in an undisclosed location, the leader of the Thunder Legion chuckled as he read the same results off of some runes. "Let's see how long you can endure this game of Fairy eat Fairy, you old geezers."

_To be continued…_


	3. Fight your Friends to Save your Friends!

_Chapter 3: Fight your Friends to Save your Friends_

It had been around ten minutes since the Battle of Fairy Tail had officially begun. Kageyama was running through the town, hoping to find the Thunder Legion and defeat them. As he passed by a crowd and looked around, his attention was caught by the sounds of a battle around the other corner.

"What the?" The shadow wizard quickly turned and saw Warren & Max duking it out with each other.

"Just give up, Max!" Warren yelled as he jumped out of the way of some sand. "You know I can see your attacks coming a mile away!"

"Just 'cause you can read my attacks doesn't mean you're fast enough to dodge!" The sand wizard proclaimed before quickly waving his hands, blowing Warren away with two sand attacks.

"What're those Fairy Tail punks doing now?" A woman in the crowd asked, getting Kageyama's attention.

"I saw two more fighting two blocks down." A teenage boy stated.

"Is this some new festival event?"

Hearing this only made Kageyama more confused. However, as Warren and Max continued their brawl, the shadow wizard noticed Warren hitting some invisible barrier and purple runes manifesting for a brief second.

"Something's not right." The black-haired man said before kneeling on one leg and placing his hand on the ground.  _"Shadow Scan!"_

Tendrils emerged from Kageyama's shadow and moved ahead. The tendrils crawled along the floor before suddenly traveling upwards. As they did this, the same purple runes appeared.

"An enchantment." Kageyama stated before a smirk appeared on his face. "Looks like this is my lucky day."

In another part of town, Laki and Bisca were in the middle of their own showdown.

"Sorry about this!  _Wood-Make: The Dam of Shy Love!_ " The lilac-haired girl shouted before conjuring a massive wall of weapon-shaped wood towards Bisca, who proceeded to leap out of the way, jumping onto a nearby roof.

"I don't want to do this either!" The gunwoman stated with a scowl. "But this is the only way I can save Alzack!"

The green-haired woman held her hands out in front of herself and chanted,  _"Requip: Big Bazooka!"_  And in a flash of green light, she summoned a massive blue bazooka and aimed it at Laki.

"Oh, shitbubbles." The bespectacled woman whispered.

 _"Blast Bullet!"_  And in a massive explosion, the Wood-Make Wizard was knocked out, and Bisca was allowed to leave the barrier unharmed but with a guilty conscious.

Back at the Fairy Tail Guild Hall, the older wizards were still trapped as they watched the ever-changing Status Report. The current battles were;

**Max VS Warren**

**Bisca Wins. Laki KO'd.**

**Mirajane VS 4 Others.**

**Levy VS Jet VS Droy**

**Remaining Wizards: 82**

"This is bad." Macao stated. "It hasn't even been a half-hour yet, and we're almost down twenty wizards."

"Freed must've been setting up enchantments months in advance." Wakaba stated as he smoked his pipe.

'Damn it. Everyone's being forced to fight each other. And I can't do anything to stop it!' Lyle said mentally as he clenched his hands together. Soon though, their attention was drawn to the Status Report again.

In another part of town, Erza was running through the city streets, just as desperate to find Laxus as everyone else.

'Where could he have hidden himself?' The redhead asked as she turned another corner. However, her running was halted as she bumped into a rune barrier. "What?"

She quickly read the conditions of the enchantment and looked around her. 'Where's my opponent then?' Erza then proceeded to hear the sounds of dress shoes tapping against tile and turned her head in the direction she heard them. And walking across one of the rooftops was none other than Reginald, still expressing no emotion on his face.

"Reginald! Stop this madness right now!" The requip wizard yelled. "I refuse to believe that you of all people would willingly go along with this plan!"

Reginald said nothing as he held his hands out and his pendant started to glow. Two green and black twin metallic bowguns manifested in each of his hands. With the sunlight reflecting off his glasses, the dirty blond aimed his weapons at his redheaded opponent.

"Forgive me, Erza. But just know that I take no joy in this.  _Arch Shot: Arrow Rain!_ "

And as soon as the hail of mystic arrows began to rain, Erza immediately requiped into her Heaven's Wheel armor and used a variety of floating swords to block the shots. After the barrage had ended, the redhead launched her own barrage of flying swords that impacted with the roof that Reginald was standing on. However, the dust cleared and revealed at the bespectacled man was no longer there. Another barrage fired at her from behind, and thankfully Erza was able to move her blades to block them telekinetically.

But this turned out to be part of Reginald's plan as the blond wizard was able to sneak behind Erza and quickly placed his hand on her shoulder.  _"Slide."_

The two were consumed in a brilliant flash of green light, and when the light faded, Erza was shocked to see the environment around them. Gone were the cobblestone streets of Magnolia as the two now stood in a place of multi-colored light moving in every conceivable direction. The two also seemed to be standing on a surface, but were unable to see said surface.

"What is this place?" Erza asked.

"This is the Aether, an endless sea of energy that lies in between all dimensions." Reginald explained. "And it is where we will stay until the Battle of Fairy Tail has come to an end."

As this occurred, Laxus watched the Status Report, not even phased by Erza and Reginald's names being removed. 'You keep your end of the bargain, and I'll keep mine, Reggie.'

A chuckled came to the blond as he continued to read the Report. 'Erza's out the game, so the only ones I have to worry about are that Juvia chick and Mirajane.'

His eyes then turned and saw that despite almost forty minutes passing since their battle had begun, all of Team Shadow Gear were still in the game. 'Of course, Levy and her cheerleaders can't bring themselves to hurt each other. How touching. Looks like I'm gonna have to spice things up a bit.'

Suddenly, the lighting wizard noticed that Warren and Max's names were starting to blur from the report. "Wait, what?"

And indeed, Kageyama had several shadowy tendrils embedded in the barrier and three black magic circles forming a triangle at the center. "Shatterpoint identified."

Shadow magic then surrounded Kageyama's right hand and with all his might, he jabbed it into the center of the three magic circles.  _"Break!"_

And just like that, cracks immediately started forming in the barrier. Soon enough, the cracks completely shattered, freeing Max and Warren from their forced battle.

"What the?!" Max exclaimed.

"The barrier's down." Warren said in shock.

"Whoever made this is good…" Kageyama said, getting the attention of the two. "...but not good enough."

"Who're you?" The sand wizard asked.

"The name's Kageyama." The black-haired wizard introduced himself. "And you can consider me an ally."

Meanwhile, the wizards trapped in the Fairy Tail Guild Hall also took notice of Max and Warren's match shattering and disappearing from the report. And before they could question this, a thought projection of Laxus appeared in the building.

 _"Alright, how the hell did you guys do that?"_  Laxus asked in anger.

"What're you talking about?" Wakaba asked.

 _"Don't play dumb! Max and Warren couldn't have broken the barrier on their own! And I know for a fact that no one in the guild knows any seal breaking magic! So what kind of trick did you geezers pull off?_ "

Lyle thought about this for a moment before he started to chuckle, confusing everyone.

_"And just what is so freakin' funny, Hudson?"_

"It's just as you said, Laxus. Fairy Tail doesn't have any seal breaking wizards. However, the Harvest Festival tends to attract people from all over Fiore. Especially freelance wizards looking to join a guild. And let's just say they saw the guild they wanted to join was currently in the midst of a coup d'etat. They'd probably want to step in and help."

And as he saw Laxus' surprised expression, a smirk made way onto Lyle's face. "You didn't even think about that, did you?"

The Lightning Wizard look angered for a second before chuckling as well.  _"You're right, for once. I didn't count on a Fairy Tail fanboy stepping in. Looks like I'll have to change the game up a bit."_

"What're you talking about?" Makarov asked.

With a smirk on his face, the thought projection dissipated. The real Laxus then proceeded to walk into the basement of his hideout and approached the being that was currently dwelling within it. Said being was a massive hulk of stone and dirt. In the center of its chest was a large lacrima with a stone symbol on it. And with magical lightning flowing around his hand, Laxus placed it on the lacrima, letting his magical energy fill up the large crystal.

In a manner of seconds, the lacrima was fully charged, and a solid slanted yellow eye appeared on the rocky creature's head.

"I am Laxus Dreyar, your new master. Do you understand?"

The stone-skinned creature looked down at the lightning wizard, giving him the once over before nodding.

"Good. I'm going to need your children to attack any wizard they see." Laxus ordered. The rocky creature groaned before seven tendrils burst from its back and embedded themselves into the floor.

Back in the town, Juvia was running through the streets, her rage towards the Thunder Legion still as strong as ever. 'When I find that Evergreen harlot, I'll drown her myself!'

However, as she turned a corner and accidentally bumped into someone else. The water wizard looked down and saw Hoshi groaning. "Oh my goodness, are you okay?!"

"Ya, I'm all right." Hoshi stated before standing back up.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to…" Juvia started to say.

"I said I'm fine." The burgundy-haired woman stated before seeing the Fairy Tail emblem on her necklace. "You a Fairy Tail wizard?"

Juvia nodded before saying, "I need to go."

"I know. That Evergreen bitch turned your friends to stone." Hoshi stated, surprising Juvia.

"How did you…"

"I was in the crowd when the Thunder Legion made their move." The hat-wearing woman stated. "I can't believe they would turn on their guildmates."

"Truly disgusting." The water wizard said under her breath. "I'm Juvia, by the way."

"Hoshi." The hat-wearing woman replied. However, their conversation was interrupted as the ground near them began to shake and rumble. Suddenly, over ten humanoid beings made of rocks with a single yellow eye burst from the ground.

"Are those what I think they are?" Hoshi asked as she quickly stood back to back with Juvia.

"Golems." The rain woman stated as the creatures looked over the two women.

 **"Wizard…"**  The creatures chanted as they circled the two.

"Hoshi, stay behind me." Juvia said as she started to draw water from the air. "I'll take care of these monstrosities."

"I appreciate the gesture, Juvia." Hoshi said before holding her right hand out, causing a pink magic circle to appear in front of her. "But I can fight too.  _Requip: Boom!_ "

In a flash of light, a dark gray staff with a red orb at the top appeared in her hands. She twirled the staff before aiming it at three of the Golems. A stream of pure destructive energy fired from the staff and blew off the tops of the three rocky creatures.

Seeing this made Juvia smile as she readied her own spell.  _"Water Slicer!"_

Two highly-pressurized crescent blades of water cut through the rest of the Golems, with their torso separating from their legs. But before the two could celebrate, the three Golems that Hoshi blasted regrew their tops while the sliced up Golems regrew their missing limbs, effectively doubling their numbers.

"Oh, that is so not fair." Hoshi grumbled as the battle continued.

_**Back in the Aether…** _

"Send me back!" Erza ordered, pointing a blade at Reginald. The bespectacled man, in turn, was sitting down on the 'surface,' reading a book he had hidden in his vest.

"You ordered me to do that six times. And six times I've said no. Trust me; this is for the best."

Enraged, Erza growled and grabbed Reginald by his collar, glaring into his eyes. "You betray your friends, attack me, send us to the Aether, refuse to send me back, and you expect me to trust you?!"

"I suppose that is rather dumb of me." Reginald stated.

"Why even keep us here?" Erza asked. The blond man hesitated to say anything before looking back at the redhead.

"To keep you safe." He said, which only served to confuse Erza.

"Keep me safe?" The redhead asked, getting go of Reginald.

"I made a deal with Laxus. If I keep you out of the game, you'll have a spot in the new Fairy Tail."

"The new Fairy Tail?"

"The Battle of Fairy Tail's true purpose to weed out the weakest members of the guild. Only the top twenty will be allowed to stay." Reginald explained.

"Master Lyle would never allow that to happen!" Erza proclaimed.

"Well, if all goes according to plan, Uncle Lyle won't be the guild master for much longer."

"What're you…"

"Think about it, Erza. A guild master sees his wizards as his own children. Seeing them fight each other will tear at his heart. Not to mention his own son and five other hostages will be killed in less than three hours if the Thunder Legion isn't defeated. And anyone who could beat the Thunder Legion is either a statue, trapped, or too busy fighting. Eventually, my uncle will have no choice but to surrender his title to Laxus."

"This is ridiculous!" The redhead yelled out in anger. "I can defeat Laxus myself and end this madness!"

"You can't!" Reginald yelled out.

"Why?! Because you're trying to 'protect me'?!"

"Because he is stronger than you!" Reginald shouted, surprising Erza. "And I'm not talking about some arbitrary 'he's higher than you in the rankings' bullshit! I mean he is stronger than you can imagine! Why else would I go along this absurd plan?!"

And it was at that moment Erza realized the truth of Reginald's allegiance to the Thunder Legion. "You're terrified of him."

"Of course I am." Reginald stated, holding his face in his hands. "For months, I have been trying to convince Laxus that this was a terrible idea. That this coup will only end with the Thunder Legion exiled from the guild if we're lucky. But damn the founders, that idiot's more stubborn than a mule and the rest of the Legion are blindly loyal to him. So, I threatened I go Makarov and tell him everything. And that's when he showed me something that made me realize that there was no chance of beating him."

"What did he show you?" Erza asked.

"Erza, he knows Fairy Law." The blond archer stated, shocking the redhead. "I saw him use it to turn a dark guild into nothing but ash."

Just like that, Erza realized the horrifying implications of Laxus knowing the Fairy Law spell. As one of three Ultimate Spells of the Fairy Tail Guild, Fairy Law had the power to completely destroy anyone the caster saw as their enemy. And considering Laxus' constant proclamations that he would kick out all the weaklings in Fairy Tail when he became the guild master and his threats to shatter Gray, Elfman and the others, it was a safe bet that he saw all of Fairy Tail (aside from the Thunder Legion) as his enemies. Even Erza's Adamantine Armor couldn't withstand the destructive power of Fairy Law.

And as the two wizards thought about the horrific implications, there was silence in the Aether.

_**Back in Magnolia…** _

"So you think you can take down all of Freed's enchantments?" Max asked Kageyama. After the shadow wizard had destroyed the barrier trapping them, he explained his story and his magic to Max and Warren.

"It might take me a while for to break all of them, but ya, I take these down with no problem." The shadow wizard replied.

"Um, guys?" Warren said, pointing behind the two wizards. The two turned and saw several Golems coming out of the ground and glaring at them.

 **"Wizard…."**  The creatures groaned.

"This can't be good." Kageyama stated as the three prepared their magics. And they weren't the only ones. All over Magnolia, Golems were popping up and attack any wizard they could find.

"Get out of my way!" Alyssa yelled, plowing through ten of them in a burst of super speed, only for them to quickly regenerate. "Damn it!"

 _"Requip: Machine Gun!"_  Bisca shouted before mowing down a few of them from a rooftop. Like before, the Golems regenerated from their bullet wounds. Unlike before however, the stone monsters glared at the green-haired woman and suddenly grew mouths filled with yellow magic. And with a series of inhuman wails, the Golems unleashed a barrage of lightning magic that Bisca was barely able to dodge.

In another part of town, Alexander was in the midst of head shotting and slicing apart Golems with his Celestial Arms, only to be annoyed as they recovered. Robin and Natalie were slicing and blowing up Golems with their own magic. Droy was using shield plants to protect Jet and Levy from the Golems' lightning attack. Lucy was slicing apart a few of the rocky creatures while Happy dropped lacrima bombs on them from above.

And as all of this was going on, the members still trapped in the guild hall saw the Status Report display the various battles with the Golems and that over half of the guild had been KO'd. Naturally, they more than a bit horrified.

"What the f*(k?!" Ur shouted.

 _"How do you like my party favors?"_  Laxus taunted via a thought projection.

"You unleashed Golems in the city?! What the hell is wrong with you?!" Macao shouted at the projection.

 _"Oh, come on. A couple of wild monsters shouldn't stand a chance against fully-trained wizards."_  The lightning wizard taunted.

"ENOUGH!" Lyle yelled out, surprising everyone. "What could you possibly hope to gain out of this, Laxus?! What is so damn important that you would force your fellow guildmates to go through all this crap?"

 _"Isn't it obvious?"_  Laxus stated.  _"I want you to surrender the guild to me."_

Hearing this just made the older members even more frustrated, which only amused Laxus even more.

"I should've known!" Makarov stated. "This was your goal all along, wasn't it?!"

 _"You only got two hours until the statues crumble."_  The projection stated.  _"If you geezers really want to put an end to this, Lyle's gonna have to announce his early retirement to the whole town over the guild's loudspeaker."_

As he said this, everyone failed to notice the twitching fingers of one of the statues.

_"I want you to tell everyone that you're relinquishing Fairy Tail over to me!"_

"Never….going….to happen." A familiar voice stated, getting everyone's attention. They turned to the stage, and to the shock of everyone, the still stone Zeke was slowly moving, taking an agonizingly long step. "I'd...rather die...than see you...as guild master. You cocky...condescending...SON OF A BITCH!"

And in flash of green light, Zeke was once more flesh and blood, falling onto his hands and knees as he took in a large breath of air.

"Zeke!" Lyle shouted, running past the stunned Laxus projection to aid his son. Makarov and others followed, surrounding Zeke.

"Are you okay?" Wakaba asked.

"How did you do that?" Ur asked.

"I don't know." Zeke stated, slowly getting back up. "I just felt some energy flowing around my skin and…" The archer then looked at the projection and glared at it. "You. I guess it was only a matter of time before you'd turn traitor."

The shocked expression remained on Laxus' face for few more seconds before he switched back to his signature smirk.

_"I don't know how you shook off Evergreen's magic, but it doesn't matter. A weakling like you doesn't stand a chance against the Thunder Legion alone."_

"Well, you're right about that." Zeke said, confusing the trapped wizards.

_"So you actually admit it."_

"But that's the thing; I'm not alone!" The archer stated. "As we speak, the majority of Fairy Tail are out there giving it their all! Sure, you might've forced them to fight each other…"

And as he gave off his speech, Zeke ran through the thought projection and headed out of the exit.

"Zeke, wait!" Lyle yelled in concern.

"...But that's not going to last!" The archer said with a cocky smirk. And as soon he saw that smirk, Laxus started thinking about a certain phenonium from earlier.

'Does he know the seal-breaking wizard?' The leader of the Thunder Legion thought to himself before his own smirk to smirk to return. 'Fine, smartass. You have your allies, and I have mine.'

Back with Zeke, the brunette archer used his acrobatic skills to reach the top of the building. While he had spent the last hour as a stone statue, he was still aware of everything that was happening around him. His guess was that Laxus wanted him to conscious before blasting him to smithereens.

But there was time to curse at the lightning wizard later. As for now, Zeke had a coup to stop. And the first step to that was closing his eyes and mentally shouting, 'WAAAARRRREEEENNNN!"

'Ow, my brain!' The telepathic wizard groaned. 'Wait a minute. Zeke, is that you?'

'You better believe it's me.'

'You're not a statue anymore? Does that mean…'

'No, Natsu and the others are still stone.' The archer explained as he looked around the city from his vantage point. 'And looks like things aren't any better outside the guild. Everyone's either trapped in Freed's enchantments or knee deep in golems.'

'Pretty much! Max and I are trying to fend some of them off with your shadow wizard friend Kageyama.'

'Where are you guys?'

'The intersection of 13th and Bravo. Why?'

'Stay there! I have a plan!' Zeke mentally stated before jumping across the rooftops towards the aforementioned coordinates. In a matter of minutes, he spotted Max, Warren and Kageyama surrounded by golems. He quickly conjured up his bow and readied a spell.

 _"Arch Shot: Rapid Succession!"_  The suit-clad brunette chanted before firing a barrage of energy arrows in a circular formation, temporarily incapacitating the stone creatures. The three wizards looked up to see Zeke on a rooftop before the archer proclaimed, "Get up here!"

"Don't have to tell me twice." Max stated as he readied a spell of his own.  _"Sand Pillar!"_

With a burst of sand magic, the three wizards joined Zeke on the rooftop. And as soon as they did, the golems started to reconstitute themselves.

"These things are a serious pain in the ass." Kageyama stated as he rubbed his sore neck.

"But they make a good distraction, which is exactly why Laxus is using them." Zeke stated as the stone creatures started to claw at the building the four were standing on.

"You said you had a plan, right?" Warren asked the archer, who nodded in response.

"Can you mind link me with everyone?"

"It's a tall order, but I can handle it." Warren stated closing his eyes as Zeke put a hand on his shoulder. He then brought his pointer and middle fingers to his forehead with violet magic circles in between. The telepathic wizard quietly began to branch out and find the minds of their comrades.  _"Mental Link established!"_

"Good work, Warren." Zeke said before closing his eyes. 'Hey! Can everyone hear me?'

'Uhhh...Mira must've hit me harder than I thought.' Cana groaned. 'I'm hearing voices in my head.'

'Zeke?!' Lucy exclaimed.

'I thought you were a statue!' Happy asked.

'Zeke, you're safe!' Juvia happily exclaimed, making the archer smile.

'If you're not stone anymore, does that mean that Elfman and the others are free?' Mirajane asked.

'I'm afraid not.' Zeke answered. 'Somehow, I was able to bypass Evergreen's magic. But that's not what's important right now. What is important is taking down all of Freed's enchantments so we don't have to fight each other anymore.'

'No f&*king shit!' Natalie mentally exclaimed while she and Robin were taking apart golems, all while being trapped in one of Freed's enchantments.

'What's the plan, Crackshot?' Alexander asked as he and Hu cut through a swarm of golems.

"Kageyama, you can take down Freed's enchantments, right?" Zeke asked, getting a nod from the black-haired wizard.

"There's just one problem; I can't use any of my offensive spells while I'm seal breaking." Kageyama explained. "I'll be an easy target for the golems."

"I can cover ya." Max volunteered. The shadow wizard nodded and placed his hand on Max's shoulder.

'Alright. Anyone who's still trapped in the enchantments, send your coordinates to Kageyama.' Zeke ordered as Max and Kageyama vanished into the shadows. 'Alyssa, you still kickin'?'

'You bet!' The orange-haired wizard answered as she tossed a golem into another golem.

'Head to Porlyusica's place. She might have something that can reserve Evergreen's spell.'

'I'm on it!' Alyssa stated, plowing through some more golems in a burst of super speed.

'And while she's doing that, we need to find Erza. We're gonna need her to take on Laxus.' Zeke stated.

'That's gonna be a problem.' Warren chimed in. 'I haven't been able to sense Erza for a while. It's like she vanished or something.'

'Goddamnit.' Zeke thought to himself. 'Erza's the only one left who can stand a chance against Laxus.'

'Why don't we just send Kageyama to free Master Lyle and others?' Levy asked.

'I thought about that.' Zeke said before looking in the direction of the Fairy Tail Guild Hall. Golems continued to walk the streets, seeming to ignore the guild. 'But if we draw attention to the guild, the golems are gonna swarm it, and possible smash Natsu and others in the process.'

'Well, what else are supposed to do?' Jet asked as he drop-kicked a golem. 'None of us are even close to Laxus' power!'

'You might want to check again, Sir Jet.' A new voice stated, surprising everyone.

'No way!' Levy shouted.

'Is that who I think it is?' Max asked as he and Kageyama materialized in front of the trapped Bisca and Nab (who had accidentally run into each other and into one of Freed's enchantments).

Hearing this voice brought a cocky smirk to Zeke's face. 'Still as dramatic as ever.'

'Who are you talking about?' Juvia asked as she water locked a trio of golems. 'Who is he?'

'He's arguably the strongest member of Fairy Tail.' Zeke explained. 'Mystogan, think you can take of Laxus?'

"Sir Zeke…" The cloaked man said as he walked through town, earning the attention of a golem horde. The stone creatures fired lightning blasts at him, only for the Sword Wizard to leap out of the way. As he came down, he pulled his black blade from his cloak and landed, quickly spinning a decapitating six of them at once. "...It would be my genuine pleasure."

'Alright, we got our ace in the hole!' Zeke cheered before readdressing his guildmates. 'Okay, anyone who's not trapped in the enchantments has two jobs; keep the golems away from the civilians and take down any Thunder Legion traitors if you find them! Let's remind these assholes what happens when you mess with Fairy Tail!'

'Right!' Everyone in the mental link replied.

"Juvia, you okay?" Hoshi asked before blasting another golem. "You seemed distracted."

"Let's just say the odds have turned in our favor." Juvia replied with a smile before casting Water Lock on another group of golems.

"So, it's either crowd control or kicking ass." Alexander said as he approached another group of stone creatures. As he smirked, he pulled out the red key Lucy had given him from his coat pocket. The new key had an end shaped like buck teeth and a symbol of six whiskers on the flat end. "I freakin' love this guild!  _Open, Gate of the Rat - Shu!_ "

The spirit that came through the gate was a very tiny specimen, no taller than twelve inches. This spirit was a humanoid woman with purple hair in a ponytail, yellow eyes, buckteeth, three whiskers on each cheek, and monk-styled red and yellow robes. She stood on top of Alexander's shoulders before turning and enthusiastically saluting.

"Hiya, Captain!" The tiny spirit happily greeted. "What can I do for ya?"

"Shu, consider this your trial by fire." Alexander said before pointing to the approaching creatures.

"Yeesh! Those are some ugly monsters!" The rat spirit stated before pulling off one of her whiskers. She charged it full of pink magical energy and tossed it into the ground under five of them. A pink portal opened beneath them, swallowing up the golems. In seconds, they reappeared and smashed into the others.

"Oh, this is gonna be fun!" The one-eyed celestial wizard proclaimed before charging headfirst into the rocky creatures.

Meanwhile, Alyssa was racing towards the edge of Magnolia, specifically the canyon near the end of the city. The orange-haired woman continued to weave through any golems that stood in her way; her mind focused on her assigned task.

'Just a few minutes to Porlyusica's place and back.' Alyssa thought to herself. However, instead of racing past the city limits of Magnolia, the amazonian woman smacked right into an invisible wall. "What the hell?!"

The Speed Queen pushed against the invisible wall and soon saw purple runes forming in the air. 'Zeke, we got a problem!'

'What is it?' The archer asked via the mental link.

'Freed didn't just place enchantments in the city. He set up a massive barrier all around Magnolia.' The orange-haired woman reported. 'Looks like going to Porlyusica's isn't an opinion for the moment.'

"Alyssa!" The orange-haired woman turned and saw Mirajane approaching her.

"Mira!" Alyssa said, surprised to see her friend was unharmed. "Are you okay?"

The white-haired woman nodded before looking up at the barrier. "Looks like Freed thought of everything."

"Of course." The two turned and saw Freed materialize out of a series of runes. "After all, the purpose of this battle to restructure Fairy Tail."

"You traitor!" Alyssa exclaimed, blasting off towards the green-haired wizard, only to smack into another invisible wall. The two women then noticed an enchantment forming around them.

"Another barrier?" Mirajane asked.

"What's the matter, Freed? Too scared to fight fairly?!" The orange-haired woman said before uselessly punching the barrier. The rune wizard kept a neutral expression on his face before turning away from them.

"In one hour, the statues will crumble. And only the wizard who proves herself the strongest will be allowed to leave the barrier." Freed stated before vanishing in another stream of runes. As Alyssa angrily pushed and punched the barrier, Mira held her head down, covering her eyes in shadow.

Meanwhile, Lucy was continuing to slice apart golems with her celestial arm Meteore. 'There's no end to these things!'

**"Hey…"**

**"New girl!"**

**"Wanna party?"**

Lucy turned and saw three of Biskslow's dolls floating near him and barely managed to evade the attacks by leaping through the window of a nearby clothing store.

"Hehehe." The blonde looked up and saw Biskslow walk into the store with all five of his dolls floating near him. "So you're the newbie everyone's been talking about."

 **"Newbie! Newbie!"**  The dolls repeated.

"And you're one of the Thunder Legion." Lucy said to both him and to the others in the mental link as she grabbed Taurus' key.

Back with Juvia and Hoshi, the two women were still fighting back to back, attempting to hold off the golems. However, their attention was soon drawn somewhere else.

"Well, well, well." The two looked up towards the roof of a nearby store and saw Evergreen standing, waving her fan in front of her face. "Look what we have here. Two wallflowers that fail in comparison to me."

"Evergreen." Juvia growled while Hoshi glared at the woman. The burgundy-haired woman then stepped forward.

"Juvia, keep the golems busy." Hoshi ordered, confusing the rain. "I'll deal with this bitch."

"Oh, my. How vulgar." Evergreen taunted. "Forgive me if I don't know your name. There's so much riff raff in Fairy Tail that it's to keep track."

 _"Requip: Fire!"_  The staff wizard chanted, switching out her Boom Staff for a red staff with an orange orb at the end. "My name is Hoshi Katagiri! You turned my little brother into stone!"

And after twirling the staff, she pointed up at Evergreen and gave off a look of anger that seemed familiar to the self-proclaimed fairy. "And trust me, you're going to pay for that in spades!"

Back with Zeke, the archer was reassuring everyone that Alyssa and Mirajane being trapped behind a barrier was only a minor setback. They still had Mystogan on their side, so he was still pretty confident that they could turn this around.

"So this is why the battle isn't playing out as expected." Zeke and Warren turned and saw Freed materialize on the other side of the roof.

"Aw, crap!" The telepathic wizard shouted.

"Well, consider me impressed, Freed." The archer stated. "You actually had the balls to come out of hiding and fight."

"I see you're still as arrogant as ever." The green-haired man retorted as he reached for his rapier.

'Warren, get to somewhere safe.' Zeke mentally ordered. 'Keep the link up no matter what.'

'Are you sure you can handle him?' The black-haired wizard asked.

'Of course I can.' The brunette stated as he conjured up his new bow. 'After all, he's just Laxus' flunky.'

Warren nodded before running to leap onto another rooftop. Seeing this, Freed attempted to thrust and stab the telepathic wizard, only for Zeke to step in the block the strike with the bladed edge of his bow.

"You're gonna have to get through me first, traitor." Zeke stated, the two wizards glaring at each other as sparks flew off their clashing weapons.

_To be continued…_


	4. Advent of Satan

_Chapter 4: Advent of Satan_

Arrows and Runes continued to fly over the rooftops of Magnolia as Zeke and Freed were in the midst of their battle. The archer was running and leaping from rooftop to rooftop while Freed had used his magic to manifest a pair of energy wings on his back, flying after his opponent.

" _Arch Shot: Rapid Succession!"_ Zeke chanted, firing off a stream of arrows towards his airborne foe.

In response, Freed chanted, " _Dark Ecriture: Reflect!"_ before waving his right pointer and middle finger in front of him, creating a row of runes. The runes did just as their said and reflected the spell right back at Zeke, which the nimble archer managed to dodge. The green-haired rune wizard then blasted towards his opponent with his rapier drawn, which Zeke barely managed to block with his bow.

The two pushed each other back and Freed attempted to stab at Zeke again. However, the brunette proceeded to grab his bow's handle with both hands before separating the two ends, dodging the thrust with a spin and then going on the offensive with a bladed bow edge in each hand. The dueling wizards fought back and forth with swordplay before Freed kicked Zeke back and took off into the air again, Zeke putting the two ends of his bow back together and chasing after his flying foe.

And they weren't the only ones caught in a battle. Inside of a clothing store, Lucy was deflecting blasts from Bickslow's 'babies' with her Celestial Arm.

"Give me an X formation, babies!" The masked man shouted, making an with his arms.

" **X-Formation! X-Formation!"** The floating dolls did just that, forming into an X and combining their blasts, creating a massive stream of energy that Lucy barely managed to leap away from. The blast, in turn, destroyed several rows and the back of the store.

"Come on! You're the newbie that Fairy Tail went to war over?" Bickslow taunted. "What a joke."

Lucy just scowled and pulled out one of her keys. "You asked for it, Grateface!  _Open, Gate of the Archer - Sagittarius!"_

The horse spirit manifested next to Lucy, his arm already up in a salute. "Tally ho! How shall I assist you, Lady Lucy?"

"Take out those freaky flying things!" The blonde ordered, pointing to the floating dolls.

"I'd like to see you try!" The masked man stated, mentally commanding his dolls to fly around frantically to make them harder to hit. But much to his shock, Sagittarius quickly fired an arrow and hit one of the dolls dead center, utterly shattering it. The horse spirit continued this, quickly destroying the remaining four dolls. "NO! MY BABIES!"

"Who's the joke, now?" Lucy asked with a cocky smirk, pointing her blade at Bickslow, who was in the midst of freaking out and holding his head.

"IT'S….still you." Bickslow said calming down in an instant, confusing Lucy and Sagittarius. "Got ya!"

Suddenly, the blonde Celestial mage and her spirit were knocked back by a barrage of green blasts. Lucy quickly rolled back up and saw five store mannequins floating towards them while chanting, " **Got ya! Got ya!"**

"What the…"

"Let me drop some knowledge on ya, newbie." Bickslow said with his fist on his hip and the mannequins floating around him. "My Save Magic lets me control the souls of my babies and where they go. You can destroy can their bodies all ya like, and I'll just transfer them into new inanimate ones!"

"Shit." Lucy cursed under her breath.

"Oh, but the fun doesn't end there!" The masked wizard stated before waving his left hand in an arc, creating a line of five green magic circles. " _Requip: Buzzsaw!"_

In a flash of light, five new dolls manifested in front of Bickslow. These dolls were dark brown with crazed grins, wings, and saws poking out of their bottom ends. And as soon as these dolls manifested, the mannequins fell to the floor, the five souls leaving to inhabit their new bodies.

"You use Requip Magic?" Lucy asked as she and Sagittarius got back up, gaining a chuckle from Bickslow.

"Did you think Erza was the only one with that trick? I got all kinds of special dolls for my babies to inhabit." The Save Mage stated before issuing a new command. "Slice and Dice Em, babies!"

" **Slice and Dice Em! Slice and Dice Em!"** The dolls repeated as their buzzsaws started to spin. They then start to fly frantically around the store, slicing apart anything they came across. Lucy managed to deflect them with her blade while Sagittarius fired his arrows at them. And while the horse spirit's aim was impeccable as ever, the arrows were sliced apart by the buzzsaws. In this moment of temporary distraction, one of the dolls blasted right through the archer's torso, causing him to scream in pain.

"Sagittarius!" Lucy yelled in concern.

"I-I'm sorry, Miss Lucy." The horse spirit groaned as he started to fade back to the Spirit World. "It seems I can no longer help you today. I wish you the best of luck."

And at that sentence, Sagittarius ultimately returned to the Spirit World.

"Hehehe." Bickslow chuckled as his dolls floated around him. "And then there was one."

In yet another part of town, Alyssa continually body-slammed and punched the barrier she and Mirajane were entrapped within. But no matter how hard or fast the amazonian woman hit it, the enchantment would not break. She had even tried leaping upwards and digging underground, but the barrier was seemingly endless on both ends.

"F8&k, f(*k, f&^k!" The speed queen cursed as she slammed her head against the barrier. "Kageyama, where the hell are you?!"

'Hey, I'm breaking apart the enchantments as fast as I can!' The shadow wizard stated as he was in the middle of breaking the barrier around Robin and Natalie. 'This Freed guy was insanely thorough with his enchantment layout. I've already disabled twenty-three of them, and there's about fifty more."

"Shit." Alyssa cursed. "Mystogan, how are things are your end?"

'Well, there seems to be a larger gathering of golems near Kardia Cathedral.' The cloaked man said, observing the aforementioned creatures and building from a nearby alley. 'Laxus isn't keeping himself hidden very well. Then again, perhaps that's his intention.'

'Be careful.' Alyssa said to her old friend.

'I always am.' Mystogan stated as he pulled his black sword out and started channeling his magical energy into it. Gripping the handle with both hands, he cried out, " _Sword Art: Crescent Wave!"_ and unleashed a yellow wave of energy that sliced apart several golems and blasted through the cathedral's front entrance. The cloaked man quickly jumped through the hole he created and saw Laxus, standing in the center with his hand smoking, indicating that he had deflected the spell with his bare hands.

"I was wondering when you'd show up." The lightning mage said with a smirk.

"Well, it's not like you made it hard to find you." Mystogan stated before pointing his blade at the blond. "I'm only going to give you one chance, Laxus. Remove the stone enchantments and deactivate the golems."

"Or what? You'll kick my ass?" The cocky man asked as lightning sparked around him. "I've wondered who's the stronger wizard between the two of us."

He then started to channel lightning magic into his right fist. "Time to find out which of us is the Top Dog of Fairy Tail!  _Lightning Breakdown Fist!"_

Laxus punched his fist forward, launching a giant fist effigy made of lightning at Mystogan. However, the cloaked man simply spin-dodged away from the attack and leaped towards Laxus with his own spell prepared.

" _Sword Art: Rapid Jab!"_ With a burst of magic, Mystogan stabbed forward in a barrage of insane speed. And while Laxus was able to move out of the way, one of the jabs was about to stab him in the shoulder, until…

" _Lightning Pulse!"_ A small burst of lightning blasted off of Laxus' shoulder, deflecting the sword jab and pushing Mystogan back. However, the Sword Wizard wasn't done yet as he readied another spell.

" _Sword Art: Blade Barrage!"_ The black-eyed man swung his sword, a row of light following his swing. The row then transformed into copies of his blade and launched ahead like missiles.

" _Grand Lightning Pulse!"_ Laxus chanted, raising his hands and creating hundreds of miniature lightning explosions in the air in front of him, each explosion deflecting one of the blades until they had all dissipated. "Only fifty-one minutes left! If you want to save your friends, you're gonna have to give it your all!"

Hearing this via Warren's still active mind link, Alyssa scowled, unable to help her friend in her present condition.

"Alyssa…" The orange-haired woman turned to the also trapped Mirajane, who still had her head down. "I'm sorry."

"Why? It's not like you set up the enchantment." Alyssa stated.

"No. I mean...I'm sorry." Mirajane said as she stood up. In an instant, her body started to exude black magical energy. "But I'm not going to lose Elfman too."

"What...what're you…" The speed wizard asked, feeling a chill running down her spine. A chill she hadn't felt in six years.

"And if that means I have to go through my friends to protect him, THEN SO BE IT!" The white-haired woman shouted, lifting her head and revealing that her usually cheerful disposition was gone. Instead was a look of anger, desperation, and sadness.

"Mira...w-wait a second!" Alyssa nervously said. "E-Everything's gonna be okay! Mystogan's gonna beat Laxus! We just have to be pati…"

" _TAKE-OVER!"_ Mirajane shouted at the top of her lungs, and a massive burst of black magic energy shot out from the barmaid, almost consuming Alyssa as she braced herself.

"So immense." The amazon stated about her friend's magical power. And she wasn't the only who left the sudden wave of immense magical power. All throughout Magnolia, nearly every wizard felt a massive wave of demonic energy coming from the outskirts of town.

"What the hell is that?" Natalie asked, shaken by the magical energy while Robin's eyes were widened in shock.

"Mira, stop!" Alexander shouted, hearing his girlfriend's distress via the mental link. Back with the two, Alyssa opened her eyes and saw that a transformation had occurred. While Mirajane's hair, eye, and skin color remained the same, they were also the only features of hers that were still recognizable. Her usual red dress was now replaced by a red leotard with a matching collar, matching red and yellow leggings, and a pink knot around her neck. However, the more shocking change was that her forearms were now covered in black scales, beige clawed gauntlets on each hand, a black reptilian tail sticking out of her backside, black demonic wings coming out of her back, her regular ears being replaced by larger elf-like ears, a visible scar running down the right side of her face, and her hair now standing straight up.

This was a form that had struck fear into the hearts of friend and foe alike. A transformation that even to this day was one of the few things Alyssa truly feared.

"Satan Soul." The amazon whispered, utterly terrified. In a burst of speed rivalry Alyssa's, Mira launched ahead and threw a powerful. Alyssa was able to avoid being shattered like the stones below her by leaping out of the way. The demonic white-haired woman turned and quickly aimed her hand at the orange-haired lady.

" _ **Demon Blast!"**_ Mira chanted, her voice now several pitches deeper as she fired a blast of purple energy that Alyssa barely dodged. As soon as she was on her feet, the amazonian woman started vibrating her hands at insane speeds.

" _Speed Queen: Vibration Break!"_ She shouted, slamming her fist into the ground, causing an explosion that temporarily disorientated Mirajane. Taking advantage of this, Alyssa charged at her white-haired opponent with her fist vibrating at insane speeds. " _Speed Queen: Vibration Punch!"_

The orange-haired woman socked her opponent in the jaw, sending her flying. And as Mira was airborne, Alyssa hardened her resolve despite her fear.

'I can't pull my punches! I need to go all out, right from the start!' She mentally shouted as her magical energy overflowed from her. " _Speed Queen: Overclock!"_

And just like that, two floating magic circles appeared over her shoulders, and her skin turned red. Mirajane had recovered from her attack and flew at her opponent at high speed. Alyssa blasted ahead as well, and the two reared both their fists back.

" _ **Evil Spark!"**_ Mirajane chanted as demonic lightning channeled around her fists.

" _Speed Queen: Million-Strike Punch!"_ Alyssa shouted and the two starting exchanging powerful blows at superspeed. And while a few of the punches hit the orange-haired amazon, she was able to land more of her attacks on Mira, her last uppercut sending the Take-Over mage flying into the air. Alyssa then leaped upwards, grabbed Mira by the air, and spun around at superspeed before tossing her into the ground, creating a crater. She then landed on top of her opponent with a Vibration Punch attack before launching another Million-Strike Punch. However, as she threw the millionth punch, the Take-Over wizard managed to grab Alyssa's right fist before stabbing her claws into it, drawing blood.

" _ **Evil Breath!"**_ Mira shouted, unleashed a torrent of dark magic from her mouth, blasting the orange-haired woman off of her. Alyssa quickly recovered and attempted to punch Mirajane with her left arm, but the demonic woman managed to catch the fist with her left hand. She followed this up by slamming her right elbow and knee into Alyssa's left arm, effectively breaking it and causing the Speed Wizard to scream in pain before Mirajane then tossed her through a nearby plateau.

Suffice to say, Alyssa's body was in terrible shape, even more so as her Overclock spell had worn off. Even as she managed to stand back up, she still felt like crap. Her left arm was broken, her right hand was bleeding, and her magic had almost been half-drained by her Overclock spell, as indicated by her heavy panting. While she could still run, she had no place to run to with Freed's enchantments still trapping the two.

" **I'm sorry, Alyssa. But I'm ending this now."** The white-haired wizard proclaimed, walking past the rubble of the plateau before stopping. She then proceeded to bring her hands together, gathering an increasingly strong amount of dark energy into a black and purple ball.

'Shit!' Alyssa thought to herself, her thinking accelerated to thanks to her magic as she tried to come up with a plan, only to draw a blank. 'There's...there's nothing I can do! I can't use my magic without my arms or feet! Maybe...maybe I should just let her beat me.'

As Mira's spell continued to grow stronger, Alyssa kept thinking. 'After all, this fight only happened because the Thunder Legion blackmailed us. It doesn't matter who wins. What matters is that Laxus is stopped.'

The spell became stronger and stronger as the orange-haired woman had her head held down. 'But...even so...even so…'

" _Not too bad, pipsqueak.' Mira said, wiping the blood from her mouth as she looked down at the tired and beaten Alyssa. 'In a couple of years, you might actually be a challenge."_

'I've dedicated my life to being strong enough to protect everyone. How can I do that...if I lost to someone who's been out of practice for almost five years?!' And as Alyssa was thinking of this, a purple aura began to flow out of her body, and the orange-haired woman felt something. Like a dam about to explode within her very soul. 'If I lose here, all of that training, all of that struggling...will have been for nothing!'

And just like that, the orange-haired woman felt the dam within her soul burst open. In real time, barely three seconds had passed as Mirajane launched her spell.

" _ **Soul Extinctor!"**_ The barmaid shouted unleashing a massive stream of dark energy at her opponent. However, as the stream closed in on Alyssa, an armored gauntlet held its hand out. The blast was stopped by the gauntlet, breaking the spell into several streams and holding it back until the energy dissipated. Confused by this, the Take-Over Mage looked ahead and saw something unbelievable.

Alyssa's forearms and legs were now covered in intricate dark purple armor. The fingers of the gauntlets were white with similar colored lines running across them and the metal boots. On the back of each gauntlet was a singular orange jewel that matched the Speed Queen's hair color. But even more strange to the amazonian woman was the fact that she no longer felt the pain in her arms and legs that she was feeling seconds ago. She moved her fingers experimentally and noticed some of the plates on the gauntlet moved a bit.

" **What the...since when do you know Requip Magic?!"** Mira asked before shaking her head. " **You know what, it doesn't matter."**

The white-haired Take-Over wizard then blasted towards her foe, still believing she was too injured to evade. But much to the shock of both of them, plates on the back of Alyssa's boots opened and blasted her into the air like a rocket, avoiding Mirajane's magic infused fist. Deciding to take advantage of her foe's confusion, Alyssa quickly reared her right arm back. And as soon as she did, the plating on the sides of the right gauntlet opened, unleashing jets of energy that blasted her downwards. Her knuckle slammed down into Mira with enough force to cause a crater.

As she landed, Alyssa looked over her newly-manifested armor and noticed something. She didn't feel like she had just slapped the armor on. This armor felt like an extension of herself. But before she could contemplate this any further, she felt Mirajane's magical energy surge again as the white-haired woman stomped out of the crater.

" **I don't know how you're doing this, Alyssa. And frankly, I don't care!"** The demonic wizard stated as she stepped towards her opponent. Alyssa, in turn, got into her usual fighting stance and glared at Mira with steel determination as the fight began anew.

Back to Lucy, she was currently hiding behind a hastily made barricade of clothing racks as the Buzzsaw Dolls continued to slice up the store and Bickslow continued to taunt her.

"What the matter, newbie? No more spirit buddies to do the fightin' for ya?"

"Big talk coming from a guy who hides behind his dolls!" Lucy retorted as she pulled out another golden key. " _Open, Gate of the Maiden - Virgo!"_

In a flash of light, the pink-haired maid spirit appeared next to her wizard.

"You called, princess?" She asked, only to flinch as a buzzsaw doll passed by, slicing off a tiny bit of her hair. "Oh, my."

Biskslow gave a loud whistle as his eyes gave Virgo the once over. "Dammmmn! Now that's a spirit I wouldn't mind fighting up close."

"Virgo, get us out of here!"

"As you wish, princess." Virgo replied as she knelt before Lucy. A gold magic circle appeared under the two women as the maid spirit used her Diver Magic to dig them an escape route under the store quickly.

"Trying to give me the slip, huh?" Biskslow stated before raising up his pointer and middle finger. " _Requip: Monitor!"_

Two of the Buzzsaw dolls were switched out by two floating black dolls shaped like eyeballs.

"You; follow the ladies and stay out of sight." Bickslow ordered.

" **Outta sight!"** One of them replied before turning invisible and flying down the tunnel Virgo had created. The pupil of the second monitor doll glowed before projecting a screen that showed the invisible doll's point of view, causing the masked wizard to smirk.

"Let's move out, babies!" Bickslow shouted before running out of the clothing store with the Monitor dolls in front of him.

" **Move out! Move out!"** The three Buzzsaw dolls repeated as they followed their master.

Three blocks away, Lucy and Virgo emerged in an alleyway and started to dust themselves off. "We should be a safe distance away, princess."

"Thanks, Virgo." The blonde replied before dusting herself off. "We're in a bit of a bind. I can't summon Taurus today, and there's no water around for Aquarius to manipulate."

"You could alway call upon Leo or Pisces." The maiden suggested.

"Are you sure Loki's rested up?" Lucy asked before getting a nod from Virgo.

"After nearly two months of recuperating in the Spirit World, Leo's power has fully replenished. He should be more than a match for that masked cretin."

"Aw, come on! That's not a nice thing to say!" The two woman turned around and saw Bickslow standing at the end of the alleyway with the Buzzsaw and Monitor dolls floating next to him.

"What the?! How did you find us so fast?" Lucy asked. Her answer came in the form of the second Monitor doll turning visible again as it emerged from the tunnel and rejoined its siblings.

"Well, it's been fun, newbie. But it's time I ended this." The masked man stated before waving his right hand in an arc and creating five magic circles. " _Requip: Artillery!"_

And in yet another flash, the five dolls were now inhabiting new bodies. This time they were black bodies mostly made up of round heads, wings on the side, and long cannons extending out of their mouths.

"Blow them to smithereens, babies!" Bickslow ordered, pointing at Lucy and Virgo. The five dolls did just that and unleashed a barrage of green blasts that Lucy and Virgo were barely able to evade. And it was a good thing they did, as any area hit by the bombings was consumed in an explosion, indicating that these blasts were at least twice as strong as the Default Dolls' blasts.

"Go back through the gate, Virgo!" Lucy ordered as she continued to leap away from the cannon blasts.

"As you wish!" The pink-haired maiden replied before vanishing in a glimmer of light. With sweat running down her brow, Lucy quickly pulled out another key and swiped in front of her.

" _Open, Gate of the Lion - Leo!"_

In a flash of brilliant light, the orange-haired spirit appeared in the alleyway, the light of the sun reflecting off of his shades.

"You rang, Lucy?" He asked with his usual playboy smile before looking ahead and seeing Bickslow and his dolls aimed in their direction. "So the time has come to fulfill my promise, huh?"

"Well, whaddya you know. So you were a Celestial Spirit." Bickslow stated with his hand on his chin. "I've kept your secret safe all this time, and this is the thanks I get?"

"Wait, how did you know?" Lucy asked.

"Bickslow has the power to control souls." Leo explained. "That means he can see them too."

"So now the spirit wants to join the battle of Fairy Tail too, huh?" The masked man taunted. In response, Loki just adjusted his suit.

"No, I don't care about your battle or Laxus or any of that nonsense." The lion spirit stated before glaring at the Save Wizard. He then held his right knuckle up and gripped his right bicep with his left hand. Soon enough, a brilliance light began to flow around the orange-haired man. "Listen up. The only reason I'm here is to protect Lucy! I'm not gonna let you hurt her, understand?!"

"Oh, that's rich!" Bickslow chuckled before motioning to his babies. "But you've never been able to beat me before, little lion cub! Circle Formation, Babies!"

The Artillery Dolls did just that, moving in a circle as they took turns unleashed their attacks at Loki. But much to the Save Wizards shock, the golden light surrounding Loki tanked the blasts, almost like they were nothing.

" _O Regulus...Grant me your strength!"_ The Lion Spirit chanted as the light around became brighter, almost blindingly so. He then launched his fist forward and shouted, " _Regulus Impact!"_

A golden magic appeared and shot out a massive Lion effigy of the same color. With a loud roar, the image consumed Bickslow and his dolls as the masked wizard screamed in agony, unable to dodge in time. When the light faded, the Artillery dolls were destroyed, and Bickslow was trembling, his arms covering his face. However, the damage done was apparent as various parts of his outfit were either singed or ripped. Cracks had also appeared on the grating covering his eyes.

"Give up?" Loki asked, assuming that his foe was finished. However, while at first it seemed sounded as though Bickslow was sobbing, it soon erupted into mad laughter.

"This is awesome! AHAHAHAHA!" The masked man said with a crazed look in his green eyes.

"He's insane." Lucy mumbled in fear.

"Finally! I can stop holding back!" The Save/Requip wizard shouted before raising his arms up into the air and creating a building-sized magic circle above him. " _Requip: Goliath!"_

The doll that emerged was just as big as the circle it manifested from. Unlike the other dolls, this one was more humanoid in nature, consisting of a dark blue stone torso, arms, and a head with bright red eyes and a crown made out of jagged spikes.

"W-What is that?!" Lucy asked, horrified at the sight of the massive doll.

"I don't know!" Loki answered in shock. "In all of the times we've battled before, I've never Bickslow use this doll before."

With a chuckle, the aforementioned wizard leaped onto the shoulder of his doll. "For the record, I was always goin' easy on ya. But now my babies can really cut loose!"

" **CUT LOOSE! CUT LOOSE!"** All five voices shouted from the doll, all of them inhabiting the massive being. The Goliath Doll then reared one of its massive fists back before launching it down towards the two, creating a massive explosion of dust from the impact. This explosion was so massive that even Zeke and Freed managed to spot it from a distance.

"What the hell is that thing?!" The archer shouted.

"I can't remember the last time Bickslow had to call upon the Goliath Doll." Freed stated. Curious about who could've pushed his friend to such extremes, he waved his hand in front of him, calling upon the BOFTSR. "The Heartfilia woman? How could a novice force Bickslow to go all out?"

In his curiosity, the airborne rune wizard was barely able to evade an arrow grazing his left shoulder before turning his attention back to Zeke.

"Don't underestimate Lucy." The brunette said with a stern expression. "She may be new, but she's one of the most promising wizards I've ever met."

And indeed, Zeke's point was proven as Loki had managed to leap himself and Lucy away from the Goliath Doll's fist mere seconds before it hit the streets, landing on a nearby rooftop.

"Stay back, Lucy. I'll deal with Bickslow!"

"No way! I'm not letting you fight that monster by yourself!" The blonde interjected.

"You better listen to your boy toy, newbie!" Bickslow shouted as Goliath turned towards the two. In response, Loki scowled before charging his fists with his Regulus magic and leaping at the masked wizards.

"Wait!" Lucy shouted.

"Bring it, lion cub!" Bickslow yelled as the Goliath Doll moved its left hand to protect its master.

" _Regulus Gatling Impact!"_ The lion spirit shouted before unleashing a barrage of supercharged punches at the stone hand, never letting up for even a second. Soon enough, cracks started to form around the massive stone hand. But instead of being concerned, Bickslow just smirked.

"Got ya." And as soon as he said that, two more hands burst out the Goliath's chest and enclosed upon Loki, crushing both of his ribs in the process.

"Loki!" Lucy shouted in horror as the lion spirit screamed in pain.

"Looks my big gun trumps your big gun!" The masked wizard taunted as the Goliath continued to squeezed Loki, making him cry even more.

"Stop it!" The blonde cried out, unable to see her friend in such excruciating pain.

"Tell ya what. I'll let your little cub go on one condition." Bickslow stated before pointing down at the blonde. "Strip!"

Hearing this, Lucy held her head down, her bangs covering her eyes as her body trembled.

"Lucy...don't…" Loki groaned out, even as pain racked his body.

"What's it gonna go, newbie? Your clothes or your friend?" Bickslow asked.

"You…" Lucy whispered. "You disgusting JACKASS!"

The celestial spirit looked up, glaring at the masked wizard with anger that rivaled her teammates.

"Woah! What's with that look?" Bickslow asked in surprise, and Loki looked down in astonishment, as the only time he had seen Lucy even close being this angry was when she defended him in front of the Celestial King.

"You betrayed your guild! Turned my friends into stone! Forced the rest of us to fight each other! Unleashed a horde of monsters on the town! And now you expect me to strip for you?!" Lucy shouted as blue energy started to radiate off of her. "Well, let me tell you, Bickslow! You and the rest of Thunder Legion are going down!"

She then proceeded to pull out another golden key. "And for the record, Loki's not my only big gun."

And upon seeing this key, Loki started to chuckle, confusing Bickslow.

"What the hell's so damn funny?!"

"Let me put it this way." The lion spirit started to say as he began to fade back to the Spirit World. "You're totally f^&ked."

As soon as Loki completely vanished back into the Spirit World, Lucy held the key upwards and chanted, " _Open, Gate of the Paired Fish - Pisces!"_

A large blue magic circle appeared above her and mother & son duo emerged. However, they did not take on the humanoid forms that had meet with Lucy the other day. Instead, they took the forms of two building-sized eel-like fish. Mother Pisces' body was white while Son Pisces' was black each of them had blue lines running across their bodies with their symbol on their foreheads.

"The f&^K?! Those are Celestial Spirits?!" Bickslow shouted in shock.

"Get him!" Lucy ordered. Pisces obeyed, and the two massive fish began to circle the Goliath Doll before finally launching their heads forward.

"Oh, no you don't!" Bickslow shouted as the Goliath Doll stopped the fish spirits by grabbing each of them with two hands. But even with massive stone hands holding them back, the strength of the fish spirits was so great that the hands started to crack.

"Come on, babies!" The masked wizard shouted. "There's no way we're gonna lose to some overgrown sushi!"

However, the Save Wizard was unaware of the fact that Lucy was running up the body of Mother Pisces. As she reached closer to the head of her spirit, she held out Meteore and Taurus' key before closing her eyes.

" _Taurus, please lend me your strength!"_ She chanted before a transparent image of the bull spirit appeared next to her.

" _If it's to protect your sweet bod, I'll give ya anything you want!"_ Taurus stated before vanishing Lucy then reopened her eyes, inserted Taurus' key into Meteore's hidden key slot and turned it. A blue magic circle appeared behind her, and the segmented parts of her blade split apart, floating around the magic circle. With a loud yell, Lucy leaped off of Mother Pisces' head, getting Bickslow's attention.

"What the…"

"TIME TO END THIS!" Lucy shouted before pointing her hilt down towards her masked opponent, and the floating pieces started to glow with golden energy. " _METEOR BLITZ!"_

The glowing segments blasted towards Bickslow, and the blonde began to swing her hilt rapidly. Like a swarm of hornets, the blade segments cut into the Save Wizard before he even had a chance to react. And with a final downward swing and a matching yell, all of the segments sliced into Bickslow in a powerful X-Formation. The Save Wizard stood motionless before a geyser of blood emerged from all of his cuts and the grating over his mask shattered, revealing a blue doll-shaped tattoo on his nose and his wild blue hair. With a final groan, Bickslow fell off of the Goliath Doll's shoulders and onto the roof, falling unconscious thanks to both the impact and the blood loss.

" **Daddie…"** The souls within the Goliath doll groaned before going dormant without their wizard to control them. And as the souls went to sleep, Lucy landed on the roof, Meteore becoming whole once more.

"Zeke...Alyssa…" Lucy breathed heavily, exhausted from the battle. "I did...my part. The rest...is up to you."

And as she finished her sentence, the blonde wizard fell forward and passed out, Pisces returning to the Spirit World as she did. But this was not the only battle reaching its conclusion.

Back with Alyssa and Mirajane, the Take-Over wizard was continually exchanging blows with the Speed Queen. As they continued to duke it out, the barmaid quickly learned that the armor her foe had summoned not only gave her quick burst of faster speed, it also made her blows twice as strong, which was evident as Alyssa socked her in the gut and forced her to cough out some blood.

Speaking of the amazonian wizard, Alyssa started to get a better understanding of the armor she had summoned as she continued the battle with Mirajane. While she didn't understand what exactly it was, she felt her magical energy flowing into the gauntlets and boots. And more she energy she fed to them, the stronger they became, indicated by her deflecting an Evil Blast spell by kicking it back.

After a few minutes of clashing in the air, Mirajane and Alyssa landed on opposite sides of the nearby river. Without saying a word to each other, the two women had a silent agreement. They were both reaching exhaustion, and their bodies were broken in several places. The next spell would determine the outcome to the battle.

With a demonic yell, Mirajane held her right fist to her side, and black energy began to engulf it. Alyssa held up her right hand before clenching it, causing the armor plates to slide open again. The speed wizard then began to pour all of her remaining magic into her right gauntlet, causing massive jets of purple magical energy to blast out of the vents while orange jewel on the back of her hand began to shine brilliantly. With their eyes focused, the Take-Over Wizard and the Speed Queen launched at each other. And as their attacks were about to land, a name for this attack came to Alyssa.

" _EMPRESS KNUCKLE!"_ The orange-haired wizard shouted.

" _ **EVIL KNUCKLE!"**_ Mirajane shouted in response.

The two opponents collided, causing a shockwave so strong that it blasted the river water upwards, and so loud that it was heard all over Magnolia. The resulting wind from the collision was even strong enough to uproot some nearby plant life.

After a minute of silence, the dust gave way and reveal the two knuckle spells that hit their mark, with Mirajane having been punched in the face while her attack had hit Alyssa's gut. A light came over the white-haired wizard, and when it faded, she had returned to normal and fell unconscious, landing in the river with blood spurting from her mouth and nose. The armored gauntlets and boots then vanished as Alyssa dropped to her knees coughed up a massive amount of blood from her injuries.

But even with all of her magical energy drained and her eyesight failing her as she began to pass out, Alyssa couldn't help but smile. 'I...finally beat...Mirajane.'

And it was on that thought that the Speed Wizard fell onto her left side and fell unconscious. With the battle ended, Freed's enchantment finally faded away, but with none of the two combatants awake to witness it.

Meanwhile, in another part of town, Hoshi was blasting fireballs at the airborne Evergreen, who nimbly evaded the attacks. She then readied her own spell.

" _Fairy Machine Gun: Leprechaun!"_ After a wave of her arms, the brunette unleashed a barrage of yellow energy bolts towards her foe. However, Hoshi was quick to react to this.

" _Requip: Reflect!"_ The cabbie hat-wearing woman chanted, replacing her Fire Staff with a new staff that had a yellow body and a top made out of a crystal dome. With a pulse of magic, a reflective dome appeared around Hoshi, seeming absorbing the Fairy Machine Gun.

"So you have a shield that absorbs magic, huh?" Evergreen asked. With a smirk on Hoshi's face, the dome glowed before firing the Fairy Machine Gun spell back at its original caster, who simply just flew out of the way.

"You'll never hit me." The bespectacled wizard taunted. "A woman with my nimble grace can never be tainted by a scarred maggot like you."

"You wanna test that theory?!" The burgundy-haired woman stated as a new magic circle appeared in her hand. " _Requip: Leviathan!"_

The new staff that manifested in her hand was mostly blue with three white pillars closed on top. The Staff Wizard proceeded to raise the staff upwards, and the pillars opened, revealing a shining blue gem. The gem glowed, and a blue magic circle appeared overhead.

With a loud yell from Hoshi, the blue gem fired energy up into the circle. The energy manifested into an effigy of a monstrous sea creature that roared, shattering Evergreen's glasses before charging. Evergreen flew out of the way and started to fly circles the effigy.

"Impressive. A form of magic energy that takes on the properties of a beast. However, much like all beasts, you lack any sort of strategy." Evergreen stated. Hoshi was confused about what her foe was talking about until she noticed sparkling dust floating around the leviathan effigy.

" _Fairy Bomb: Gremlin."_ The flying woman chanted before snapping her fingers. The dust particles glowed before exploding all at once, consuming and destroying the leviathan. Hoshi scowled as the gem on her staff shattered, signally the end of its usefulness. "Now what was, is it you said? I believe it was something about me paying in spades for petrifying your little brother."

"I meant what I said." Hoshi stated, dismissing her Leviathan staff. She then held her right hand out, this time creating five magic circles before her. " _Requip:_ _Ophthalmoception, Audioception, Gustaoception, Olfacception and Tactioception!"_

Five staffs manifested in front of Hoshi, each of them with a steel gray stick, but varying with a different symbol at the end; an eye, an ear, a tongue, a nose, and a hand. Without missing a beat, she quickly stabbed the staffs into the ground in front of her, readying her next spell.

"This is your last chance to surrender." Hoshi stated.

"Oh, that's cute. You think you actually have a shot at beating me." Evergreen taunted, landing on a nearby building and making her opponent scowl.

"Alright, but just remember…" The gold-eyed woman stated before crossing her arms with both of her pointer and middle fingers out. "I gave you an out.  _Five-Point Staff Magic: Skyscraper!"_

Energy sparked out from the five staffs before combining into a massive pink magic circle. Suddenly, it seemed as though the entire began to shake as pillars of light began to emerge from the roof, shocking Evergreen. The self-proclaimed fairy was then blasted upwards by a massive explosion that only destroyed the building she was one, but also everything within a fifty-yard radius.

"She destroyed the entire block?!" Evergreen shouted as she was continually pushed further and further into the atmosphere until she stopped at the very edge of the Thermosphere. But before her body could even begin to freeze over, the brunette heard an inhuman sound a looked upwards. Two massive and scaly claws seemed to pierce through reality itself and slowly ripped open a portal. At first, Evergreen could only see a glowing red eye, then the second one, and soon enough, she saw a large monster with green scales, crystal spikes, and a large unhinged jaw with teeth bigger than her. And as if that wasn't enough, the self-proclaimed fairy was also suddenly wrapped up in black bindings that came out of nowhere.

"What kind of magic is this?!" She screamed as the monster reached out a grabbed her. With a hungry look in its eyes, the creature started to pull Evergreen to its large drooling mouth.

"No! No! NOOOOOOO!" Evergreen yelled, so overcome by the fear of being eaten that she passed out. And as soon as she did, a cloud-like substance vanished from around, revealing that she was still on the staff rooftop. The entire last minute had been an incredible, elaborate illusion cast by Hoshi.

Speaking of the staff wizard, she was panting heavily and sweating profusely, using her arm to wipe the sweat from her brow as she dismissed her staffs.

'Had to use Leviathan and Skyscraper in the same battle. I must be getting sloppy.' Hoshi thought to herself before sitting down. 'Natsu, I hope that did the trick.'

And indeed, upon Evergreen being scarred into unconsciousness, the five remaining statues inside the Fairy Tail Guild started to glow. When the light faded, Natsu, Gray, Elfman, Gajeel, and Alzack were once again flesh and blood instead of stone.

"What the...what happened?" Gajeel shouted as he rubbed his forehead.

"I think Evergreen turned us to stone." Alzack stated, his eyes blinking and readjusting.

"That underhanded, conniving…" Elfman growled as he clenched his fists. "If she were a real man, she'd take us head-on!"

"You're okay!" Ur shouted before tackling Gray into a hug, which the Ice wizard returned.

"This is great!" Makarov stated while Lyle smiled.

'Natsu? Gray? Elfman?' Warren asked via the mental link.

"Warren?" Alzack asked.

"What's going on?!" Elfman asked.

'Well, Alyssa, Lucy, and Mira are KO'd, and most of our friends are either trapped or fighting golems.' The telepathic wizard replied. Unbeknownst to everyone else, the continually use of his magic was causing a continual stream of blood to pour from Warren's nose. But despite this, he kept the mental link up and running. 'But there is some good news."

Back at Kardia Cathedral, Laxus and Mystogan blasted each other back as their magic collided. But before Mystogan readied his next spell, he was suddenly relayed about the new development at the guildhall and smirked underneath his robes.

"It's over." The black-eyed wizard stated, confusing his foe.

"What're you babbling about?"

"Check the Status Report." The cloaked wizard replied. Slightly curious, Laxus looked towards the rune display floating near the end of the cathedral, and his eyes widened in shock.

**Unknown wins. Evergreen KO'd.**

"With Evergreen defeated, her spell over the others is broken." Mystogan stated as he pointed his blade at Laxus. "Your leverage is gone. This farce of a battle is over."

But much to the Sword Wizard's confusion, instead of getting angry, Laxus' usual smirk just grew wider.

"You think so, huh?" He said before holding his arm up and loudly snapping his fingers.

Back with Zeke and Freed, the two were in the midst of a firefight, only to stop as they saw something happening in the sky.

"No." Freed whispered. "Laxus, you can't!"

"What the hell?" Zeke asked he looked up. And he wasn't the only one. Back at the Fairy Tail Guild, the remaining members had gathered onto the roof after Wakaba had told about something appearing in the sky.

"The hell is going on?" Natsu asked, confused at what he saw while Lyle and Makarov looked in horror.

"No." Lyle whispered in disbelief. "Not even he would resort to this."

"The Thunder Palace." Makarov said in shock.

High in the sky above Magnolia, hundreds of human-sized yellow lacrima were floating in a ring formation. Each of them had a steel spike ring around them and a crystal lightning bolt inside them.

"This battle ain't over!" Laxus exclaimed as his lightning magic stormed around him. "It's just getting started!"

_To be continued…_


	5. Steel Determination

_Chapter 5: Steel Determination_

With the massive ring of yellow lacrima known as the Thunder Palace circling above Magnolia, there was a sense of unease all over Magnolia. Many of the citizens had retreated to their houses to avoid the golems walking the streets, and now the sudden appearance of these mysterious rotating objects was doing little to ease their worries. And for the wizards in the Fairy Tail guildhall, those who knew the true nature of the Thunder Palace, they felt the sting of betrayal and a burning anger.

"You know what's up those lacrima, Master?" Gray asked Lyle, who, alongside Makarov, seemed to have some knowledge of the devices based on their reaction after spotting them.

The Absorption Wizard nodded before answering. "The Thunder Palace was a weapon concept that I thought up alongside Ivan Dreyar."

Those who recognized the name scowled, but none noticed the look of familiarity that was on Gajeel's face for a mere second.

"The idea was to fill up a series of lacrima with massive amounts of concentrated lightning magic. They would then be sent up into the air and circle their target. And with a single mental command, all of the lightning would explode at once, utterly vaporizing anything in its sphere of influence."

Thanks to the mental link, all of the still conscious wizards (aside from Laxus and Freed) heard this detail and variety of emotions overcame them. Mostly ear at the purported power of the Thunder Palace and anger that Laxus would betray them to such a degree.

"Oh, hell no!" Ur scowled, the floor under her freezing over as she started charging a spell. " _Ice-Make: Saucer!"_

With a powerful yell, the Ice Master fired a large spinning blade of ice high into the sky. The ice spell managed to make contact with one of the floating lacrima, slicing it in half.

"Woah, that was amazing!" Macao shouted.

"So we can't physically pass through the barrier, but our magic can." Makarov stated as a few of the guild members celebrated the destruction of the lacrima. However, the celebration only lasted a few seconds as a bolt of lightning suddenly struck Ur, causing her to scream.

"MASTER!" Gray shouted before catching his now smoking teacher.

"What the hell was that?!" Gajeel asked in confusion.

"Body Link Magic." Lyle deduced with a scowl. "It blasted her with the same amount of magic she used to destroy the lacrima."

"So even if we destroy the Thunder Palace, we'll get zapped too?! Shit!" Wakaba cursed before blowing out a puff of smoke.

"Laxus has gone too far!" Elfman shouted, clenching his fist in anger. "A real man wouldn't resort to such cowardly tactics!"

As the various members of Fairy Tail voiced their anger, Natsu held his head down, and his body began to shake. His mind conjured up an image of the Thunder Palace destroying Magnolia, the townspeople, and his fellow guildmates.

"Not again." He whispered as his mind drifted back to his childhood home burning, an image that confused everyone in the mental link.

"Natsu?" Gray asked in concern for his rival, which grew even more as a fire started to dance around the dragon-slayer.

"Not again!" Natsu said once more, clenching his fists as his mind thought back to the morning Igneel disappeared.

"I WON'T LOSE ANOTHER FAMILY!" The salmon-haired wizard shouted, the fire exploding around him and turning into azure flames. With a burst of fire, Natsu blasted from the guildhall's rooftop and straight into a horde of nearby golems.

" _Fire Dragon's Roar!"_ With a mighty yell, Natsu blasted several of the creatures away and continued to blast ahead. "You're gonna burn for this, Laxus! I'M GONNA BURN THE GUILD MARK RIGHT OFF YOUR F*&KING FLESH!"

Gray, Elfman, and Alzack watched the berserk dragon-slayer continue to plow through any golem he came across while Gajeel looked on in interest.

"Gray, Elfman, Gajeel, Alzack." The four turned and saw Lyle looking at them with a serious expression. "The Golems are still wandering the streets. I need you four to make sure they don't hurt anyone else."

"What about the Thunder Palace?" Alzack asked. In response, Lyle rolled up his sleeve, revealing his orb-holding wristband. The guild master then placed his pointer and middle finger on one of the orbs.

" _Absorption: Steel."_ In a flash of magic energy, Lyle's skin turned from flesh to steel. "Leave it us."

"What about the Body Link?" Gray started.

"It's gonna take more than lightning to bring us down." The bespectacled wizard stated.

Gray said nothing before nodding. "Understood." The Ice-Make wizard then leaped from the balcony and onto the streets before turning to the other three. "Come on! The Master gave us an order!"

"Right." Alzack stated, twirling his guns before jumping off the balcony.

"Manly!" Elfman shouted as he did the same.

Gajeel said nothing as he also jumped off the balcony. "I don't care what Old Stone's orders are. I just want to make this Laxus prick pay for freezing me."

The four then noticed the Golems were regenerating from Natsu's rampage and looking right at them. Seeing this, the air around Gray started to grow cold, Elfman's right arm transformed into its Razorpine form, Alzack aimed both this pistols forward, and Gajeel turned his right arm into its sword form.

"Charge!" Gray yelled, manifesting an ice hammer in his hands before he and the others charged ahead. As they did this, Lyle turned to his fellow trapped guildmates.

"Come on! We can't let the kids do all the work!" The guild master shouted as his arms transformed into cannons. He then aimed his arms upwards, targeting two of the lacrima.

"Man, this is gonna suck." Wakaba said before creating several fists made out of smoke. Macao's hands ignited in purple fire while Makarov started to float, powered by his Light Magic. Ur also caught her second wind, clenching her fists as they became covered in ice.

In another part of town, Freed was looking up at the Thunder Palace in shock. He had known that Laxus had the weapon as a backup plan, but never believed that he would actually use it.

"Do you get it now?" Zeke yelled out, snapping Freed out of his shock. "Do get what I've been telling you for years, Freed?! Laxus is f*(king psycho! As long as he gets what he wants, he doesn't care who gets hurt, even his so-called teammates!"

The rune wizard's hands began to shake, and he began to grit his teeth.

"So stop this idiotic coup! Drop your enchantments and help us stop Lax…"

Zeke was unable to finish that thought as he was forced to side-step a stab from Freed.

"I see." Freed whispered to himself. "I guess there's no turning back now."

"What the hell are talking about? Of course, there is!" The archer shouted before jumping away from Freed.

"No, there really isn't." The green-haired man said before glaring at his opponent. "If this is the path that Laxus chooses, then I follow him until the very end."

"Oh, for the love of...Freed, stop thinking about Laxus! Think about yourself for once!" Zeke shouted. "Is this what you want? Do you want to fight your friends?! Do you want to hold all of Magnolia hostage?! All so that some arrogant, power-hungry jack off can toss everyone out on their ass?!"

"My feelings on the matter are irrelevant." The rune wizard stated before swiped his blade in front of him, creating a series of runes. " _Dark Ecriture: Blast!"_

The runes exploded into a stream of pure purple magic that Zeke was forced to leap rooftops to evade.

"Damn it!" The archer shouted as he landed on a nearby roof, reattaching the two ends of his bow together. "Alright, have it your way, traitor!"

The two continued to exchange spells, leaping from rooftop to rooftop. Eventually, Zeke was forced to jump into a nearby alleyway. As soon as Freed landed on the opposite side, the brunette quickly aimed his bow and was about to channel energy for his next spell. However, he noticed something that made him stop.

"What's the matter?" Freed asked, maintaining his stoic expression. "All out of magical energy."

Zeke said nothing in response. A smirk just appeared on his face before he began to chuckle. "You really thought of everything, didn't you?"

The rune wizard raised an eyebrow before his opponent spoke again, pointing to something behind Freed. "Anyone who uses magic in this space loses the right to breathe."

Indeed, the two were actually inside one of Freed's enchantments, with the rules of said enchantment floating behind the green-haired wizard.

"So you were herding me hear and hoped I would be quick to cast my magic." Zeke deduced.

"I figured that our fellow guildmates would attack me on their gut reaction." Freed explained. "But then again, it makes sense that you would notice such a small detail in such a small amount of time. Your analytical skills have always been impressive."

"So what now?" The archer asked. "Neither of us can use magic so long as we're in this barrier. I mean, technically we can, but I'd prefer not to suffocate."

"Simple." The rune wizard answered, brandishing his rapier. "We settle this with swordplay."

Zeke smirked as he separated the ends of his bow once more. The two began to clash, and soon the difference in fighting styles became apparent. Despite facing against an opponent with twice as many blades as him, Freed remained calm, deflecting each of the attacks with precision. Zeke, on the other hand, was putting more strength into his swings, causing him to move slower than Freed. And the archer soon realized how dismal the odds of him beating the rune wizard in swordplay were as Freed managed to nip his left cheek, drawing blood.

As he used both ends of his bladed bow to block a swing from Freed, Zeke realized there was only one way for him to gain an upper hand. Without any hesitation, the archer's knee shot forward, hitting the rune wizard right in the nards and causing him to drop his rapier.

With the green-haired wizard reeling from this sudden low blow, Zeke took this opportunity to strike. He spun in an arc, slicing at Freed's chest and causing blood to blast out of the wound. The green-haired man fell to his knees, his left hand holding him up while he used his right hand in an attempt to keep his blood in his chest.

"That was...a dirty trick." Freed growled out, glaring up at his opponent.

"Really? You set up hundreds of barriers around town in an attempt to get us to fight each other, and you call foul play on me. Mr. Pot, Mr. Kettle called. He says you're black." Zeke retorted as he dismissed his bow and started to walk away.

"Hey! We're not finished yet!" The rune wizard yelled out. In response, the archer turned to him with a stern expression on his face.

"Any moment now, you'll pass out from blood loss. So ya, we're finished here." The archer then turned back and started to walk away again. This only served to infuriate Freed, who sucked in a large amount of air before leaning upright. With a quick movement of his hand, a series of runes appeared on his chest. The runes then phased into Freed and the green-haired man was consumed in a burst of dark magical energy.

"What the…" But before Zeke even had a chance to turn around, he was suddenly punched into the air. He rolled and landed on the street, only for his eyes to widen in shock at what he saw.

Walking towards was Freed, who had gone through a startling transformation. The only thing to indicate that the creature was the rune wizard was his coat bottom, pants, and wild green hair. His body had gained more muscle mass, dark blue fur, gray skin, blue markings on his chest, purple horns on his head, and scaled feet. But what more concerning to Zeke more than anything was the fact that Freed's massive cut had healed up.

" _Dark Ecriture: Darkness."_ Freed stated, finally being able to breathe after walking past the enchantment he had set.

'What the f(*K?! Since when could Dark Ecriture magic do this shit?!' Zeke yelled in his head as quickly prepared one of his spells. " _Arch Shot: Drill Arrow!"_

But even with the spiraling spell heading for him, Freed remained unflinching as he raised his right palm out.

" _Darkness Pulse Bomb."_ A sphere of dark magic shot out of Freed's palm and collided with the Drill Arrow. For an instant, it seemed like the spells were even in terms of magical power, only for the dark spell to flare up and blast through the arrow spell, forcing Zeke to leap out of the way. And in an instant, the now-demonic Freed leaped forward and grabbed the archer by the face. With a roar, the rune wizard ran Zeke through the wall of a nearby building and continued to do so until they reached Magnolia Park, where in he tossed his foe into the large tree in the center.

Needless to say, Morningstar's leading archer was not in the best of shape. His back was bruised something fierce, he had bleeding cuts on his forehead and cheek, and it felt like his legs could give out at any minute. But despite all this, Zeke stood back up and launched a barrage of spells at Freed. Unfortunately, Freed's new form had given him a physical boost that allowed him to leap high into the air to avoid his foe's spells. As he rocketed down towards Zeke, he held out his right pointer and middle finger, channeling magic into them. The brunette archer saw this, separated his blades and prepared to swing his blades.

The two foes met and swung their arms, ending up facing away from each other afterward. A cut opened on Freed's left arm, but the green-haired wizard paid it no mind. Zeke quickly felt confused as he felt no new pain from his and Freed's exchange. But he soon discovered that in the second they were close to each other, Freed had managed to place a rune word on his chest.

" _Those runes represent unending agony that will become the totality of your existence."_ Freed explained before snapping his fingers. " _Dark Ecriture: Pain."_

And as soon as those words came off the rune wizard's lips, Zeke's body was struck with a sensation, unlike anything the archer had felt before. It as if he was continuously being stabbed, burned, and crushed all at the same time. The pain was so great that the archer dropped the ends of his bow (which dematerialized) and fell to his knees, clutching his chest as he shook. But despite the unyielding agony coursing through his body, Zeke refused to scream, gritting his teeth to the point where he began to draw blood.

" _As long as those runes remain on your body, every nociceptor in your body will flare up."_ Freed explained as he stepped in front of the shaking archer. " _Soon enough, your brain will unable to process anything except pain."_

Even with the unyielding torment his body was going through, Zeke still found the strength to glare angrily at the rune wizard, blood coming down from his mouth as he gritted his teeth to avoid screaming.

" _I will end torment under one condition."_ The green-haired wizard explained. " _You must acknowledge Laxus as your master."_

"E-Eat….a...dick...traitor." The archer managed to growl out, causing Freed to sigh in disappointment.

" _Very well."_ He said as he held out his right pointer and middle finger again. He then swiped again, causing the same rune to appear on Zeke's right shoulder. " _Pain!"_

In seconds, the agony Zeke had felt before had doubled in intensity.

" _Pain!"_ Freed chanted, swiping again and causing another rune to appear on Zeke's forehead, tripling the intensity of the spell.

" _Pain! Pain! Pain! Pain! Pain! Pain! Pain! Pain! Pain! Pain! Pain!"_

With each new repetition of the spell, the sensation of agony within his body intensified. Soon enough, Zeke could no longer hold out.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" He screamed out to the heavens, holding his head and silently pleading for this torment to end. His pain even managed to pass through the mental link, startling his guildmates.

"Zeke? Zeke!" Juvia yelled out, blasting through a group of golems with a pressurized stream of water.

The archer continued to stream as all of the pain receptors in his body flared beyond their rational limit. And after a minute of screaming and thrashing, Zeke finally stopped screaming. His arms fell to his side as the archer looked up at the sky, his mouth hanging open and an empty look prevalent in his eyes.

" _What a waste."_ Freed sighed in disappointment, believing that his opponent's mind was broken by the constant overstimulation of agony. " _If you weren't so arrogant and prideful, you would have been a fine addition to the new Fairy Tail."_

As Freed started to walk away, he was unaware that Zeke's wasn't broken at all. The reason he was unable to scream anymore was because of the active runes. With them still affecting him, the smallest twitch felt like a stab. Even moving his mouth was too much for the archer.

'I can't let Freed win! But...everything hurts...like nothing I've ever felt before!' Zeke screamed mentally. 'Is...is there really nothing I can do?'

_**Are you really going to give up?** _

'What the...who the hell is that?'

_**Are you really going let this happen again?** _

'Again?'

_**You know what I mean.** _

Without being able to move his body, Zeke's mind drifted to the only other time in his life he had felt this way. The first and last S-Class mission he took before going to Galuna Island. The result of which haunted him to this very day.

_**T** _ **wo** _**Years Ago…** _

_A red moon was shining down on the road. A carriage was toppled to its side and the horses had been decapitated._

_Near the crash was an injured Zeke. He had multiple cuts on his body that radiated a strange red glow while his longbow was cut in two next to him. As he laid flat on the road, the brunette archer looked up at his attacker._

_His foe was a woman with alabaster skin and dark purple hair tied into a ponytail that reached her waist. Her physique was that of a sword fighter. Her outfit consisted of a dark purple chinese dress, pants, tied arm bands and a black sheath strapped to the right side of her waist._

_In her left hand was a curved blade he would later identify as a dao. It's pommel matched the color of her outfit. And unlike other blades the archer had seen, the metal of this blade was red and black, giving off an aura that matched the cuts on his body._

_But the thing that stuck out to him the most was her blue eyes. They were not circular like a human's eyes, but were slit like a snakes._

" _Disappointing." The assailant said with a bored tone. "I expected more from a Fairy Tail wizard."_

_Zeke attempted to get up, only to feel a numbing sensation from his cuts._

" _The poison is already in your system." The snake-eyed woman stated. "The more you struggle, the worse the effects become."_

" _Why don't you just kill me then?" Zeke growled out._

" _Do you kill every bug that happens to walk the same path as you?" The woman responded before turning towards the carriage. "Besides, you're not my prize."_

_As she began to walk to the carriage, her odd-colored sword glistening in the moonlight. Zeke reached his hand out in a vain attempt to stop her. But the poison in his system was too much, forcing him to lose consciousness. When he woke up the next morning, the woman was gone, his client was dead and the artifact he had been stolen._

_**No matter what you've achieved or how much time has passed, that night continues to haunt the deepest pits of your mind. Why is that?** _

'Because...I failed.' The archer said to himself. His mind continued to flash images. How he was unable to find a way around Erigor's Wind Barrier. Lyon defeating him on Galuna Island. His failure to save Natsu from being abducted by the Crusaders. How useless he was against Fuyu's armored form. 'And I keep failing again and again! What the hell is wrong with me?!'

_**Are you truly that blind?** _

Just like the snake-eyed woman from years ago, Freed turned his back on Zeke and began to walk away. And this time, the archer couldn't even move his hand.

" _And then there's you. The weakest S-Class wizard in the guild who only became an S-Class because Mommy put in a good word for you."_

" _The difference is that with your skill and power, you have no chance of stepping out of the gigantic shadow the Hudson legacy has cast on you."_

" _Do you kill every bug that happens to walk the same path as you?"_

The words of Laxus, Lyon and the snake-eyed woman continued to repeat over and over in his head, dampening his spirits with every repetition.

'Is that all I am?! Just a failure?!' Zeke shouted in his head.

'No, you're not!' The archer's eyes widened in shock from the voice he heard in his head.

'Juvia?'

'Sure, you might've messed up! But everyone screws up now and again! It's what makes us human!' The rain woman shouted as she blasted apart more golems, panting as her magic reserves were starting to run low. 'Besides, you've had just as many victories!'

_**She is right.** _

As Juvia said this, Zeke's mind flashed back to his triumph over Effie, his part in fighting Lullaby, dealing the final blow against Claudia, and most importantly of all, meeting Juvia.

_**As long you keep doubting yourself, the power dwelling within you will never awaken!** _

'You can't just give up, Zeke! Everybody in Fairy Tail is fighting to protect their comrades, no matter the cost!' Juvia continued to mentally shout. 'Can you really give up knowing that? THE MAN I LOVE WOULDN'T JUST FOLD LIKE THIS!'

And upon hearing this, for the briefest second, the unending pain was replaced with pure shock and joy. Juvia's speech was then followed by the mental encouragement of the other Fairy Tail wizards.

'A real man doesn't give up!' Elfman shouted.

'Get up, Crackshot!' Alexander cheered on.

'You can beat him!' Levy shouted.

'Go, Zeke!' Happy cheered on.

'KICK HIS ASS!' Natsu shouted.

'Everyone.' Zeke responded. And even with every inch of his body in pain, the archer clenched his fists and began to stand up. 'You've got so much faith in me.'

_**You are the pillar that holds these precious bonds upright.** _

Fighting through the indescribable pain, the archer stood and started to wobble. However, he managed to steady himself and looked at the departing Freed.

_**Now stand!** _

(Music Que - Jonathan Joestar Victory Theme)

"HEY!" The archer shouted, causing the demonic rune wizard to stop. The green-haired man turned and saw the brunette standing upright and holding his right fist up, even with Pain Runes all over his body. "We're not done yet!"

" _Impressive. But futile nonetheless."_ Freed stated as he noticed that Zeke's left hand was twitching. " _The Dark Ecriture is still in full effect. You can barely stand, let alone use your bow."_

_**Embrace the power sleeping within you!** _

"So what?" Zeke grunted out. "Everyone's counting on me to beat you. I can't let them down."

As he started to take a step, a massive wave of green magic started to flow around his skin. "So even if every part of my body is in agony, as long as I can draw breath…"

_**I am thou. Thou art I.** _

The glow started to intensify as Zeke raised his left foot up.

_**I am the shield that cannot be toppled.** _

"I'LL FIGHT TO THE BITTER END!  _STAND TALL, EMERALD AEGIS!_ "

And with that declaration, the archer's foot stomped onto the grass, stepping forward and causing a pillar of magical energy to explode outwards. And to Freed's shock, the energy started to change shape behind his foe. The light then dissipated revealing the new being standing behind the archer.

It was a semi-transparent creature that stood ten feet tall. It's appearance seemed to be that of an anthropomorphic castle of dark green cobblestone with black railings. Across its legs were large versions of Zeke's pentacle, it's solid eyes matching the silver of the pentacles. But the most notable feature was the two half shields on each of its arms.

With a powerful yell, the being known as Emerald Aegis placed its hands around its caster. A thin green layer of energy manifested over Zeke's skin, separating the runes from his body and causing them to vanish.

'What?!' Freed shouted. 'He used that creature to banish my runes?! What the devil is going on?!'

Free of the unyielding pain, Zeke held out his left hand and conjured his now once more, Emerald Aegis copying its caster's movements. "Round 2, Asshole!"

Growling in anger, the rune wizard blasted towards his foe with a mystical-charged fist, only for Aegis to bring its arms together, combining the two half shields into a singular dark emerald shield with an image of Zeke's pentacle. The shield was sturdy enough to bounce Freed back and give Zeke an opportunity to ready his next spell.

" _Arch Shot: Sphere Arrow!"_ The brunette exclaimed before launching an arrow into the air that transformed into a sphere of emerald energy. The sphere then exploded into a shower of energy arrows right on top of Freed. However, the transformed rune wizard just growled as he brought his hands together and started channeling energy in between them.

" _Darkness Stream!"_ The green-haired man chanted before launching a wave of dark energy upwards, annihilating the arrows. However, he quickly noticed that his foe had disappeared the second he took to look upwards. 'Where did he go?'

He started to scan the park and the nearby buildings but couldn't see him anywhere. This searching was interrupted as he suddenly felt the sting of two blades cutting his back. He turned and saw that Zeke had jumped from a nearby bush with his bow separated into two blades once more. In anger, Freed blasted another Darkness Pulse Bomb spell, only for the archer to summon Emerald Aegis again to block the attack.

"What's the matter, Freed?" Zeke asked with a cocky grin. "You seem a bit frustrated."

The green-haired man scowled before he casted his Wings spell on himself again, flying up into the air. He then held his hands up and started to channel his magic into a massive sphere of dark red energy.

" _Let's see you block this! DARKNESS CATACLYSM!"_ The rune wizard shouted before tossing the massive energy sphere downwards. The powerful spell exploded as soon as it hit the ground, creating gale force winds that uprooted several plants.

'That should've finished it.' Freed thought to himself, only to widen his eyes as the smoke created from the blast cleared out and revealed Emerald Aegis with its shield arms together. And surrounding both the effigy and its caster was a massive dome of green magical energy that had protected them from the blast. Enraged, Freed channeled his magical energy and launched barrage after barrage of Darkness Streams down at the dome.

As his dome shield continued to tank the barrage of Freed's attacks, Zeke took a breath and wiped off some sweat from his brow. Even with the earlier mental encouragement from his friends, the archer was feeling exhausted. Mental exhaustion from the medley of rune-induced agony and physical exhaustion from his newly-discovered magic. Since whatever magic conjured Emerald Aegis was so new to him, he hadn't had time to adjust the use of his magical energy, as evidenced by the cracks forming on the dome.

'If this goes on, I'll run out of magic energy soon. And as soon as that happens, Freed's gonna f*(king murder me.' He thought to himself. 'My best hope is to put all of my remaining magic into one last spell to take him down.'

He then looked up and gave Emerald Aegis a mental command, the stone effigy nodding in response. With a quick snap of his finger, the dome dissipated and Zeke was forced to evade a Darkness Stream. At the same time, Emerald Aegis launched ahead and grabbed onto Freed, causing the two to crash into the ground.

" _Let go of me_ ,  _you damn monster!"_ The demonic rune wizard shouted as he attempted to break free from Emerald Aegis' stone grip.

After taking a deep breath, Zeke aimed his bow at Freed with one hand and pulled on the string with the other. A green magic circle appeared before him and lightning started to shoot around the circle. The brunette then poured every last bit of his magical energy into the spell, causing the arrow to glow with the same intensity of a star. " _ARCH SHOT…"_

Freed heard the loud chant and turned to see the charging spell. Unfortunately, it was too late for him to do anything, even as Emerald Aegis vanished into nothingness.

" _DEMOLITION ARROW!"_ And with that impassioned proclamation, Zeke let go of the string, releasing an arrow that broke through the sound barrier and impacted with Freed, causing a massive green explosion. After casting the spell, the archer began pant heavily.

'Huh. I'm still standing. Could've sworn I put all of magic into...oh there it is.' Zeke thought to himself before feeling faint, his body starting to fall forward. However, instead of hitting the dirt, he instead landed in a bubble of water. The tired archer turned and smiled as he saw a panting Juvia racing towards him.

"I came...as fast as I could." Juvia said between pants before dismissing the water bubble and catching Zeke.

"Thanks, Juvia." Zeke tiredly said, making the blue-haired woman smile. The two then heard a groan and turned to see a smoking Freed attempting to stand back up. He was no longer in his darkness form and his coat was destroyed revealing a tattered white dress shirt underneath. Burns covered a bit of his flesh and his hair was singed.

Juvia scowled at the Thunder Legion member and was ready to attack him with a spell. However, she was stopped by Zeke raised his hand in front of her before he turned towards the direction of his foe.

"Freed, be honest with me. And no loyalty to Laxus bullshit. Did you really want to do any of this?" The archer asked. Freed said nothing with his down and his body began to shake.

"No." The rune wizard said, a tear dropping from his eyes. Soon enough, more tears began to fall from the green-haired man and onto the grass. "I never wanted any of this. The statues. The golems. The Thunder Palace. Even this pointless battle. But...what was I supposed to do?!"

As he continued to cry, Freed clenched his hands into fists. "If it wasn't for Laxus, I would've starved to death in the gutters! Even though he kept becoming more cruel over the years, I stuck by him because...because I could never repay him enough for saving me!"

Juvia's eyes widened as she heard this while Zeke gained a look of understanding on his face. "I get it. I really do. Laxus was your first friend. And the first you make will always be something special." The archer stated, thinking of a certain dragon-slayer. "But that doesn't you have to rely on just them. There's a whole guild of people who care about us." He then turned to the blue-haired woman holding him up. "Who love us."

And with that, the archer finally passed out, leaning more onto Juvia. The rain woman kneeled down and placed the brunette's head in her lap. 'You really are amazing, Zeke. You don't see it yourself, but you bring out the greatness in others.'

Reflecting upon Zeke's words and finally feeling the drain from the battle, Freed laid flat on his back and stared up into the sky. 'An entire guild that cares about me.' He then thought back to something Makarov had always said about Fairy Tail and smile appeared on his face. 'I guess we really are a family.'

And just like his foe, the rune wizard fell into unconsciousness just as Hoshi arrived on the scene.

"Hey, Juvi...woah, what the hell happened here?!" The staff wizard shouted in shock as she saw the ruined state the park was in.

_**The Aether…** _

Even though it had been less than thirty minutes since Reginald had dropped the bombshell of Laxus' true abilities, the silence that followed felt like was lasting for an eternity. And after thinking of every scenario and all of the facts in her head, Erza stood back up and turned to face Reginald.

"Take me back." She ordered with a calm expression.

"So even knowing what you know, you haven't changed your answer." Reginald said as he stood up and looked at the redhead. "You know we could die, right?"

"Isn't that the occupational hazard of being a wizard?" Erza joked, earning a smile from Reginald. Seeing that Titania was not changing her mind, the bespectacled wizard stood up and placed his hand on her shoulder.

" _Slide."_

And in a flash of light, the two vanished from the Aether and arrived back in Magnolia. But as soon as that happened, Erza headbutted Reginald in the nose, causing him to reel back in pain.

"Consider that your punishment." The redhead stated.

"Alright. That I deserved that." The dirty blond replied. The two then looked up and their eyes widened in shock.

"The Thunder Palace?!" Erza shouted.

"So he's been forced to bring those out. Damn it, Laxus." Reginald said. Suddenly, their attention was drawn to the sounds of destruction coming from one end of the floating lacrima ring. Cannonballs, purple streams of fire, light rays, smoke fists and ice constructs were destroying the floating orbs one by one.

"That's coming from the guildhall." Erza stated.

"Uncle Lyle and the other trapped wizards must be trying to shoot down the Thunder Palace by themselves." The dirty blond wizard surmised as feedback lightning struck the trapped wizards. "But even they can't handle that much feedback."

"They won't have to." The redhead stated before requipping into her Heaven's Wheel Armor.

"You have a plan?" Reginald asked.

"Not really." Erza admitted. "Master Lyle and the others have a limited attack range, so they won't be able to take down all of the lacrima."

"So you're going to destroy the rest of them." Reginald guessed, getting a nod in response before Erza started to conjure a massive amount of weapons. The suit-wearing man said nothing before stepping behind Erza so that the two were facing back to back. He then held both his hands out and conjured up his twin crossbows.

"Reginald?"

"Taking that much feedback will kill you." Reginald stated before he started to channel his magic into his crossbows, forming magic circles in front of each of them. "At least this way, I'll take some of the damage away from you."

"Are you sure you're up for this?" The redhead asked as she continued to summon more weapons.

"Hey. Occupational hazard, right?" The bespectacled man replied with a smile before the two went back to preparing their spells.

Back in Cardia Cathedral, the battle between Laxus and Mystogan was growing more intense, with most of the interior either singed or ruined.

" _Lightning Cannon!"_ Laxus shouted before launching a massive ball of lightning with both hands.

" _Sword Art: Crescent Wave!"_ Mystogan chanted before swinging his blade in a horizontal arc, creating a crescent wave of energy that collided with the lightning ball, causing a massive explosion that pushed the two S-Class wizards back. The two started to pant, growing exhausted from the battle.

"Hehehehehe." Laxus chuckled between pants. "It's a been since someone's pushed me this far. I'm actually starting to have fun."

Hearing this made Mystogan scowl beneath his hood. "You still insist on treating this like a game? Even as you threaten the lives of our comrades and the innocents of Magnolia?!"

"You're still going on about that? Instead of worrying about those weaklings outside, you should focus on staying alive!" The lightning wizard shouted before launching a Demolition Fist spell that forced Mystogan to evade by jumping.

"It's become clear to me now." The cloaked man stated as he landed. "Laxus, up until now, I have been fighting you with the hope that I could reason with you. That maybe there was still a shroud a common decency left inside you. But your recent actions have shown you for what you really are?"

"Oh? And what's that, Mr. Hero?"

"You are an arrogant monster cares nothing for the people he steps on! You are an enemy of Fairy Tail!" The sword-wielder proclaimed as his magical aura started to flow around him like a tornado. "And as such, I will hold back no longer!"

"That's what I've waiting for!" Laxus shouted as lightning surged around him. "I hope all that wasn't just bravado, 'cause I'm about to hit you with everything I've got!"

The two men then started to chant their magic and readied their own stances. Laxus held his clenched fist up in the air while Mystogan held his blade upwards and over his head.

" _Resounding through the air, the roar of thunder, plunge from the heavens and reap destruction!"_ The lightning wizard chanted as a massive orb of lightning started to form above him.

" _Avatars of Justice, guide my blade! Give me the strength to rend my foes asunder!"_ The sword wizard shouted as his blade became covered in a swirling aura of magic.

" _Raging Bolt!"_ Laxus shouted before thrusting his hand forward.

" _Piercing Heaven!"_  Mystogan exclaimed before swinging his sword down.

The giant ball of lightning collided with a golden wave of energy, meeting in the middle and generating a massive light. The colliding spells struggled for a bit, pushing against each other, even as the ground gave way. The two wizards growled as they started to feed more of their magic energy into their spells, both of them hoping to overpower the others as their spells wavered back and forth.

'I ain't losing here!' Laxus mentally shouted as he channeled more and more of his magic energy into the Raging Bolt. 'I'm not gonna stop until Fairy Tail is mine!'

'Everyone is counting on me!' Mystogan shouted in his head as he also channeled his magic energy into the Piercing Heaven spell. 'No matter what, I cannot falter! Not even for an instant!'

As the power behind the colliding spells grew more and more fierce, shockwaves started to emerge, pushing the wizards back and causing damage to some of their clothes.

"COME ON!" Laxus shouted as the sleeves of his shirt started to disintegrate.

"HAAAAAAAA!" Mystogan shouted as the covering surrounding his face also disintegrated, revealing a horizontal scar running across his face and his unruly brown hair.

The two spells continued to grow stronger and the shockwaves shattered all of the windows in the cathedral.

'Push forward! Show no hesitation!' Mystogan mentally shouted to himself. 'For Natsu! Alyssa! Zeke! Happy!'

An image of white-haired girl then flashed in his eyes and the sword wizard felt his resolve harden a thousand fold.

"FOR LISANNA!" The black-eyed man shouted before the Piercing Heaven spell grew larger in size and started to engulf the raging bolt.

"WHAT THE FU…" Laxus started before the large cut-shaped wave overtook him, blasting through the wall behind and continuing for several miles. The colossal golden spell was so powerful that everyone in Magnolia managed to see it.

"That came from the Cathedral." Natsu stated before blasting in the direction of the massive spell.

Soon enough, the light of the Piercing Heaven spell faded. And when it did, Laxus stood motionless for a breath second before the front of his shirt was blasted apart and a geyser of blood shot out from the large new cut on his chest.

"It's over." Mystogan said, wiping sweat from his face.

"T-The hell it is!" Laxus shouted before coughing out blood.

"At this rate, you'll die of blood loss." The black-eyed man stated with a glare as he held his sword out. "If you shut off the Thunder Palace and the Golems, I'll consider getting you medical attention."

"You think...you can give me an ultimatum?!" Laxus shouted before a thunderbolt appeared over him. Mystogan prepared to defend against this attack, but much to his utter shock, the thunderbolt hit Laxus instead. More specifically, Laxus' cut wound. In a matter of seconds, the cut was sealed up, replaced with a large burning scab.

'He used his lightning to cauterize the wound?! That's insane!' Mystogan thought to himself as Laxus cracked his neck.

"I f*&king hate doing that." The blond man grumbled. "Always stings like crazy." However, he then turned his eyes towards his foes and started to channel lightning in his fists. "But whatever keeps me the battle."

"Tch." Mystogan said before taking an offensive stance again. But before the two could start fighting again…

" _Fire Dragon's…"_ One of the walls exploded, Natsu blasting with azure fire around his feet. " _Talon!"_

And with a swift fire-laced spin kick, the salmon-haired dragon-slayer kicked Laxus into the remains of the pipe organ.

"Sir Natsu?" Mystogan asked as the dragon-slayer landed near him. "Not that I don't appreciate your assistance, but this is my battle. So please…"

But the sword wizard was interrupted as Natsu socked him in the gut without warning. The S-Class wizard coughed and dropped his sword in order to hold his stomach. "W-Why?"

"You've had that coming for a long time, Jack!" Natsu shouted, glaring at his old friend.

"What're you talking about?" The reclusive wizard asked.

"I gonna get something off my chest! And you can use any damn sleeping spells this time!" The salmon-haired man shouted before continuing. "This brooding loner crap ends right now!"

But before the black-eyed man even had a chance to retort, the fire dragon-slayer kept going. "I was cool with you giving yourself some space so you could grieve. After all, we needed that after...that happened. But then you stopped you hanging out at the guildhall, keep taking jobs that took you far away, and started to put people to sleep just so you wouldn't talk them! Then you start going by Mystogan instead of actually f*(king name?! What kind of bullshit is that?! Do you think Lisanna would've wanted you to do this to yourself?!"

At the mention of her name, Jackson grabbed his old comrade by his scarf and glared at him.

"You bite your tongue!"

"I won't! 'Cause someone needed to come out and say it! Lisanna wouldn't want you to abandon your friends just so you can wallow in your own misery! She would've wanted you to move on!"

Hearing this made the sword wizard loosen his grip.

"We've all lost something or someone close to us!" Natsu shouted, his mind thinking back to his father and sister. "So what the hell makes your pain so damn special?!"

However, this conversation was broken as Laxus emerged from the pipe organ rubble, lightning crackling around him.

'I must've taken more damage than I thought if Natsu of all people was able to sucker punch me.' The lightning wizard thought to himself before glaring at his foe. Seeing their mutual enemy back up, the two wizard let go of each other as Jackson grabbed his sword off the ground.

As Laxus looked over the two, he couldn't help but noticed the expression on Natsu's face. Usually, the salmon-haired man's anger seemed to be one born out of annoyance or an attempt to one-up whoever he was fighting. However, this expression was different. This was not the look of a man challenging another. This was the look of a man who intended to destroy anything in his way.

"What's with that look, Natsu?" Laxus asked. "I figured you of all people would enjoy this little game. After all, isn't proving your strength and fighting strong opponent kind of your thing?"

Natsu said nothing azure fire started to flow around him. "I'm not playing around, Laxus." He said in a tone with more anger and spite than the two S-Class wizards had ever heard of. "You tried to murder my family. And for that…"

The fire around Natsu continued to swirl until he became surrounded in a tornado of azure fire. "I'M GOING TO BURN YOU UNTIL YOU'RE NOTHING BUT ASH!"

"Oh, really?" Laxus replied with a predatory grin as more lightning began to crackle around him. "Bring it on, little man."

_To be continued…_


	6. From Whom the Bell Tolls

_Chapter 6: For Whom the Bell Tolls_

The walls of Kardia Cathedral shook once more as Natsu and Laxus' fists collided, Iron Fist smashing against Demolition Fist until the two were pushed back. In the brief second they were, Jackson attempted to charge in and slash at Laxus' side. Unfortunately, the lightning wizard was fast to deflect the incoming blade with a quick Lightning Pulse spell. But as this was going on, Natsu quickly landed and started sucking in air for his next spell.

" _Fire Dragon's Roar!"_ Natsu yelled before launching a vortex of azure fire at his blond foe.

" _Lightning Cannon!"_ Laxus shouted in return before launching a ball of lightning magic that collided with the roar spell. The two opposing spells canceled each other out in an explosion. But faster than Laxus could anticipate, Natsu burst through the smoke of the explosion with his right fist covered in blue fire.

" _Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"_ But much to Natsu's shock, Laxus managed to catch his flaming fist in his left hand before uppercutting him with a lightning-charged right fist. However, the lightning wizard saw Jackson charging at him in the corner of his right eye, his sword glowing with magic.

" _Sword Art: Arc Strike!"_ But right before he could swing his blade down, Laxus used his Lightning Streak spell to transform his body into a surging thunderbolt to evade the magically-charged sword. He then re-manifested his physical form a few feet away from Jackson and launched another Demolition Fist spell at the Sword Art Wizard.

Thankfully, Jackson was saved thanks to Natsu using feet blasting from his flames to propel them away of the lightning fist effigy. And soon as the two landed, they went on the offensive once more.

" _Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!"_

" _Sword Art: Crescent Wave!"_

The torrents of fire and the wave of energy combined and blasted towards Laxus, who was forced to leap out of the way. As he was airborne, the blond wizard launched a barrage of Lightning Cannons at Jackson, who was forced to block the attacks with the flat side of his sword. However, this left Laxus open as Natsu leaped into the air behind him and readied his next spell.

" _The flames in my right hand and the flames in my left! Put the two together, and this is what you get! Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!"_ He shouted before launching the massive azure fireball at Laxus before the lightning wizard had time to dodge. The attack hit home, incinerating Laxus' fur coat and sending him falling downward.

" _Sword Art: Blade Barrage!"_ Jackson shouted before launching airborne blades at Laxus, each of them managing to cut into the lightning wizard. But the two weren't finished with their spell barrage just yet.

" _Fire Dragon's Roar!"_

" _Sword Art: Cross Slash!"_ Jackson chanted as he swung his sword twice, creating a cross-shaped blast of energy that launched towards Laxus. The two spells collided, creating an explosion that obscured the blond man from his opponents.

But before Natsu or Jackson could determine if Laxus was down for the count, a burst of lightning struck the cloud. A few seconds later, Laxus emerged from the smoke, his shirt destroyed and the cuts caused by the earlier Blade Barrage spell were cauterized.

"Don't tell me that's the best the two of you can do." The blond man taunted, his cocky smirk having once more returned.

"What the hell?" Natsu said in confusion. Not only had Laxus managed to stand up after taking hits from his strongest spells, but he was also standing even after being consumed by Jackson's most powerful spells two. Jackson shared in his comrade's bafflement until he noticed something different about Laxus.

"So that's how you've tanking so much magic." Jackson stated, confusion Natsu and making Laxus raise an eyebrow. "I hadn't noticed it until just now, but you've subtly grown three feet since our battle began."

The dragon-slayer was still confused until he took a good look at Laxus. And just as Jackson had stated, the blond wizard did look taller than usual.

"There's only so much damage lightning magic can nullify." The Sword Art Wizard continued to state. "But there is a magic can strengthen the caster's physical ability while also increasing their size. Magic you've no doubt inherited from Makarov as your Second Origin Magic; Titan."

After hearing this, the blond wizard chuckled. "Well, well, well. I guess Zekey wasn't only one in your little club that could think. And since my little secret's been discovered…"

In less than a second, a massive pulse of magic burst out from Laxus, the force of which was strong enough to push his foes back. "I MIGHT AS WELL GO ALL OUT!"

With a massive yell, Laxus' body began to increase in height and muscle mass rapidly. His growth stopped when he reached fifteen feet, barely scratching the roof of Kardia Cathedral.

"I don't care if you got Gramp's magic!" Natsu shouted as he channeled azure fire into his fists before blasting forward. "You don't have his heart!"

Laxus grunted before slapping the charging dragon-slayer away, causing Natsu to smash through a pillar.

'He swapped him as though he were a fly!' Jackson mentally exclaimed before charging for another spell again. 'But even with Titan Magic, he won't survive another Piercing Heaven!'

The now gigantic blond saw his foe charge his spell, recognizing the stance from earlier. But instead preparing a counterattack like earlier, he just kept smirking and held his arms.

"Go ahead, Misty! Hit me with your best shot!"

"You'll regret those words, Laxus!" The brunette shouted before swinging his sword down, the blade charged with an obscene amount of magical energy. " _SWORD ART: PIERCING HEAVEN!"_

Just like before, the blond wizard was consumed by the massive cut-shaped wave. And with the earth-shattering spell begin used again, the foundations of Kardia Cathedral finally gave out, collapsing as the energy blasted through the front entrance.

After a minute of silence, Natsu and Jackson emerged from the rubble, the latter heavily panting after using his most powerful spell twice in one day.

"Next time, give me a warning before you bring a building down on us!" Natsu shouted in anger. However, the two then heard the sound of debris shaking before something exploded out from underneath the rubble. And that something was Laxus, who was still smirking. And much to Jackson and Natsu's horror, the only indication that the Piercing Heaven had stricken the lightning wizard was the smoke coming from his skin.

"No way." Natsu said in fear while Jackson glared at his foe, barely using his sword to keep himself steady.

"What's the matter, Misty? You're looking a bit tired." The blond man taunted, noticing the exhausted state his foe was in. "Don't tell me you're out of mana already!"

Jackson said nothing and scowled at Laxus, who laughed as he started to walk towards the swordsman with the intent of stomping him to death. However, an azure fireball blasted the back of his head, irritating the blond.

"Hey, jackass!" The blond turned and saw Natsu standing with an azure flame burning in his hand. "We're not finished yet!"

"Actually, you are." Laxus said before pointing upwards. "Or haven't you been paying attention to the time?"

Natsu and Jackson looked up, and their eyes widened in shock. A series of timer runes revealed that the Thunder Palace was about to go off in less than two minutes.

"I guess the old saying is true; Time sure does fly when you're having fun." The Lightning/Titan Wizard taunted. "In less than two minutes, Magnolia's going to be nothing but a crater! You two idiots, the geezers trapped in the guild hall, all those weaklings around the town! They'll all be vaporized to dust!"

"You maniac!" Jackson shouted. "The Thunder Palace will kill you too!"

"AHAHAHAHAHA! You think Lightning Magic can kill me?! I'm as immune to lightning as pinky over here is to fire!" The blond exclaimed as the lightning magic inside the large floating lacrimas started to spark.

Back at the Fairy Tail, Lyle, Makarov and the others were lying on the roof, smoke coming from their bodies. Despite their experience and power, even they had an upper limit to how much concentrated lightning magic they could take.

"Shit." Wakaba growled. "This can't be how it ends."

"Romeo." Macao groaned out his son's name.

"Damn it!" Ur screamed, unable to move.

"Laxus, please don't do this." Makarov whispered, his eyes starting to tear up.

"Come on!" Lyle shouted. "Zeke! Natsu! Alyssa! Juvia! Anybody! FINISH WHAT WE STARTED!"

And like an answer to a prayer, Erza and Reginald opened their eyes, their spells finally ready.

" _Fly, my blades!"_ Erza exclaimed.

" _Arch Shot: Machine Gun Arrow!"_ Reginald shouted before pulling the triggers.

In seconds, the skies above Magnolia were suddenly filled with shimmering swords and green lights heading for the Thunder Palace. But that wasn't it.

'Everyone! We only got one shot at this!' Gray shouted over the mental link as he readied a spell. " _Ice-Make: Lance!"_

" _Requip: Sniper!"_ Bisca shouted, conjuring up a sniper rifle and quickly aiming it upwards and firing.

" _Final Wave!"_ Alexander chanted before swinging his Celestial Arm upwards, unleashing a crescent wave of energy.

" _Lightning Gemini!"_ Marianne proclaimed before unleashing twin blasts of blue lightning upwards.

" _Sand Blast!"_ Max shouted before launching a thick pillar of sand upwards.

" _Shadow Serpents!"_ Kageyama exclaimed as a series of shadow constructs blasted into the sky.

" _Take-Over: Lava Man!"_ Elfman chanted before transforming into a humanoid creature with molten rock and magma replacing his flesh. With a loud yell, he created a massive magma ball in between his hands before launching it upwards.

" _Judgement! Star! Chariot! The World! Card Magic: Rend Heaven!"_ Cana chanted as the four aforementioned cards circled each other before unleashed a massive blast of green energy.

" _Guns Magic: Tornado Shot!"_ Alzack exclaimed before firing two powerful wind bullets from his gun.

" _Water Slicer!"_ Juvia proclaimed before blasting blades of pressurized water upwards.

" _Requip: Fire!"_ Hoshi (catching via watching Juvia) shouted before launching a series of fireballs upwards.

Soon enough, every able body Fairy Tail wizard had fired their strongest long-range spell into the air, painting the sky in a tapestry of magical energy.

"EAT THIS!" Happy shouted, flying up to one of the lacrima and tossing all of the lacrima grenades he had inside his backpack.

And in a series of magnificent explosions, the ring of floating lacrimas were blown into oblivion, the lightning feedback beginning to build up.

"Would you look at that." Reginald said with a smile. "We didn't even need to tell them our plan, and they still knew what to do."

"We're one hell of a guild." Erza said with a smile of her. Unfortunately, this celebration was short-lived as the lightning feedback struck, knocking out of all the wizards that attacked the Thunder Palace.

Back in the remains of Kardia Cathedral, Laxus was looking up at the sky, unable to believe that the Thunder Palace was destroyed. His attention was then drawn to the sound of Natsu laughing.

"Looks like we're the not the weaklings you think we are." The dragon-slayer said with a smug expression. "Face it, Laxus! Your game is over! Fairy Tail will never be…"

But Natsu's speech was interrupted as Laxus charged ahead and smashed Natsu into the ground with a lightning-charged fist.

"Natsu!" Jackson shouted as he attempted to run towards his friend, only to wobble in exhaustion. 'Damn it all! I've used up all of my magic energy! I can barely stand let alone fight!'

"You impudent…" The gigantic blond said before smashing his fist down on Natsu again, causing the rubble to shake. "Loud-mouthed…" Another punch caused the dragon-slayer to cough out some blood. "LITTLE SHIT!" And the third blow caused a crater to appear underneath the salmon-haired wizard as he felt a few of his bones breaking from the attack.

"I don't need the Golems or the Thunder Palace to take over Fairy Tail! I'll take it over by force if I have too!" The Lightning wizard exclaimed before slamming his foot down on Natsu and zapping him with lightning, causing the dragon-slayer to scream in agony.

"Laxus, stop! You're killing him!" Jackson pleaded with his hand out. In response, the crazed lightning wizard turned his around and blasted the weakened sword wizard into some rubble with a lightning spell.

"You idiots shouldn't have pissed me off! 'Cause now; I'm going to turn you all to dust!" The blond wizard shouted as a massive amount of golden magical energy started to surge around him, and pillars of light began to erupt from the floor.

'No.' Natsu thought in fear. He had seen this spell cast before. He knew its name and its purpose. "LAXUS, DON'T DO IT!"

But the colossal wizard ignored the plea of his foe and brought the palms of his hands close, creating a growing light that could match even the brightest star in the sky.

"THIS WILL BE THE DAWN OF A NEW ERA FOR FAIRY TAIL!" Laxus proclaimed as the ground beneath him began to shake. "I'LL REBUILD EVERYTHING FROM THE GROUND UP! I'LL FORM THE ULTIMATE GUILD! ONE SO POWERFUL THAT ALL WILL TREMBLE BEFORE OUR NAME!"

In a desperate attempt to stop the ultimate spell from being cast, Natsu began to raise himself up, grunting in pain as he did so. 'No. It can't end like this! Alex! Lucy! Happy! Zeke! Alyssa!'

Azure flames began to dance around Natsu as he began to lean forward. 'I can't let you die!'

The fire began to surge out of control, swirling around Natsu like a hurricane. As he stood back up, the dragon-slayer heard a growl coming from within him. Something inside him was begging to be let out. To stop the monster that was trying to murder his family.

"LAXUS!" Natsu shouted at the top of his lungs as the azure flames turned to crimson red. But it was already too late.

" _I INVOKE FAIRY LAW!"_

A huge gold magic circle with the Fairy Tail symbol appeared overhead, and a blinding light consumed the town of Magnolia in an instant. The unconscious wizards. Those still standing who looked at the light in fear. The civilians who were confused at what they saw. They were all consumed by the Ultimate Fairy Spell.

The silence had lasted for a brief moment before the large light faded away. And as it did, a chuckle began to form in Laxus' throat, the blond having returned to his normal size. He had done it. In a single instance, he had wiped out anyone who would dare to stand in his way...or so he thought. For he heard a growling noise coming from behind him, confusing the Lightning/Titan Wizard. He turned around, and his eyes widened in shock. "Impossible."

Standing proud and undeterred was Natsu with his teeth grit and his eyes hard as steel. A ring of crimson fire was spinning around his feet. A red aura was radiating from his body with the same ferocity as his fire, causing his hair and scarf to billow.

But that wasn't the only thing that baffled Laxus. From the corners of his eyes, he saw several citizens were watching the two with a mix of confusion and worry.

"No. I know I cast the spell right. I hit them with so much magic energy." The blond wizard said in shock, looking at his hands. He then clenched them into fists before glaring at Natsu. "You! You did something! Somehow, you altered my Fairy Law!"

As lightning began to flow around his body, Laxus once more grew, this time stopping until he was thirty feet tall. With a furious yell, the colossal wizard stomped ahead and yelled out, "WHY WON'T YOU JUST DIE!?"

(Music Que - Cerulean by Back-On)

In response, Natsu gave out a yell of his own, the aura surrounding him expanding and pushing Laxus back. The aura then started to transform until it formed the transparent image of a red dragon. The dragon then roared before fading into the red aura once more. The red aura then moved around Natsu's forearms, flowing until it shaped itself into a pair of red hard-light dragon claws.

"I'm going to stomp you, Laxus!" The salmon-haired wizard shouted before launching ahead with jets of red fire underneath his feet

The gigantic wizard just growled before unleashing a powerful blast of lightning that consumed Natsu. But to Laxus' shock, Natsu actually rode the stream of electricity before leaping up and launching a red Roar Spell that blasted Laxus back. He followed this up by blasting forward and headbutting his foe in the chest. The force of the attack caused Laxus to cough up a significant amount of blood before he swatted the dragon-slayer away.

Natsu managed to land on his feet, leaving two trails in the rubble as Laxus charged up his next spell. Said spell created a massive lightning halberd above the blond man.

" _Heavenward Halberd!"_ The lightning wizard roared before throwing the powerful spell towards his opponent.

With the red aura now covering his left leg, Natsu delivered a spin kick that ended up creating a spiraling disc of red magical energy. The disk managed to cut through the Heavenward Halberd and hit Laxus in the chest, reopening the wound he had received from the first Piercing Heaven spell with a geyser of blood.

Before his opponent even had a chance to process what was happening, Natsu charged ahead; his right hard-light claw ignited in a blazing crimson fire.

" _FIRE DRAGON'S IRON FIST!"_ With a sound that could be heard from Mt. Hakobe, the salmon-haired wizard socked his larger foe in the face, causing more blood to fly. And he wasn't done yet as he continued to cast spell after spell on his opponent.

" _TALON! WING ATTACK! SWORD EDGE! FLAME ELBOW!"_

And as the coup de grace, Natsu delivered an uppercut to Laxus's chin. As soon as his fist made contact, a red hard-light dragon exploded upwards with a roar, sending the lightning wizard flying into the air. The dragon and the claws faded away as Laxus landed headfirst into the rubble, his body shrinking as he was finally knocked unconscious.

With a final victorious roar, Natsu also felt faint before falling onto his back and passing out.

The Battle of Fairy Tail was finally over.

(Music End)

_**Somewhere else…** _

Within an ornate chamber, an elderly woman about Makarov's size was sitting on a carpet; her eyes closed in meditation. Her outfit consisted of an orange robe befitting a monk, and her silver hair was in a single braid that reached the middle of her back. She opened her eyes, revealing their brown irises, and then gave a warm smile before turning around.

On the wall was a mural displaying several animals of various colors, one of which was glowing red; the Dragon.

"Looks like I'll have company soon." The woman said, her voice like that of a grandmother expecting a visit from her grandchildren. "I better tidy up."

_**And then…** _

With a groan, a pair of eyes opened and saw that he was resting inside a room in the Fairy Tail medical wing.

"Good Morning." Zeke turned his head and saw Juvia sitting in a chair next to his bed.

"Juvia?" The brunette asked as he saw up. "What happened?"

"We won." The rain woman stated. "Natsu managed to beat Laxus."

"He did?" The archer asked. Juvia then proceeded to tell Zeke everything that had happened after he had passed out from his battle with Freed. After Natsu had defeated Laxus, the Unholy Trinity and Team Shadow Gear were able to track down the Mother Golem, who was hidden in a warehouse on the edge of town. The two teams managed to destroy the Golem's lacrima core, killing it and turning the smaller golems to dust. Afterward, those who had managed to recover were repairing the damage all over town while others were resting in the medical wing. As for the Thunder Legion, they were currently inside of the Master's office to receive punishment for their actions. But as Juvia was telling him all of this, the archer remembered something he had heard earlier.

"Hey, Juvia?"

"What is it?"

"Did you mean what you said earlier?" Zeke asked with a light blush on his cheeks.

"What do mean?" Juvia asked, wondering why her crush was blushing at the moment.

"You said 'the man I love wouldn't fold like this.' Did you mean it?"

And upon releasing that she had unintentionally confessed her true feelings for Zeke earlier, Juvia gained a full body blush, and her body began to steam.

"U-Um...well...what I meant was...I-I mean…"

The archer chuckled at her cute freakout before placing his hands on her cheeks. And without any hesitation, the brunette closed the gap between them, placing a soft kiss on the rain woman's lips. Juvia's eyes widened, and her blush lessened until only her cheeks were red. After a few seconds of liplock, Zeke pulled back, his green eyes staring into Juvia's blue ones.

"To be honest, I feel the same way about you." The archer said with a sincere smile. "I love you, Juvia."

And as soon as he said those three words, Juvia felt as though she were on cloud nine. Her eyes began to water, not out of sadness, but of pure joy as she gave off her own smile. She embraced her love in a hug before proclaiming, "I love you! I've loved you since you showed me my first clear sky!"

She then looked into Zeke's eyes, seeing the same kindness and understanding she had seen the day they first met.

"Hearing that just made my heart skip a beat." The archer said with a chuckle. The two looked into each other's eyes once more before closing them and leaning forward, their feelings made clear as their lips touched once more.

"It's about damn time!" The two lovers jumped in shock and turned to see a heavily bandaged Natsu, Alyssa, Lucy and Happy standing in the doorway.

"Honestly, I'm surprised it took you guys this long to just come out and say it." The dragon-slayer said with a knowing smirk.

"You guys look cute together." Lucy said, happy for her teammate and friend.

"You loooooove each other!" Happy stated in an attempt to get one last tease in.

"H-How long have you guys been standing there?!" Zeke asked, his face red while Juvia pushed her head into the archer's chest to hide her blushing face.

"Since you made the first move." Alyssa said with a smile before rushing up to the new couple and hugging them. "Congrats, you two!"

"Alyssa, too tight." Zeke groaned, his injuries still not fully healed.

"So friendly." Juvia said with a sweatdrop. After letting the two go, the six began to chat about their various battles. And as they talked, Zeke felt that something was odd. From the descriptions that Natsu and Alyssa provided and from his own experienced, it seemed that all three of them had managed to unlock their Second Origin. But what were the odds that all three of them would accomplish that on the same day? Something was fishy about all of this, but he couldn't pin down what it was.

However, this train of thought was interrupted as the six saw a guilty-looking Mirajane walking into the room with Alexander placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Alyssa." The barmaid said to the amazon, getting her attention.

"Mira?" The orange-haired woman asked. The Take-Over wizard held her head down before saying what she came to say.

"I'm so sorry! I should've had more faith in the others, but I panicked and attacked you!" She said with tears running down her face. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

However, she then felt herself begin wrapped in a hug and looked up to see Alyssa was the once embracing her.

"You don't have to apologize." The Speed Queen said in a comforting voice. "You were trying to protect your brother. I can't mad at you for that. Besides…"

With a small flash of magic, the armored gauntlets and boots manifested on Alyssa once more. "If I hadn't I fought you, I would've never unlocked my Empress Armor."

"Empress Armor?" Happy asked as he tilted his head.

"Gotta name it something." Alyssa said before turning to her friend again. "So don't beat yourself up over this, Mira. I won't hold it against you and neither will anyone else."

Mira looked at her friend in astonishment before turning to her boyfriend.

"See? I told you she'd understand." The one-eyed wizard said with a smile. The white-haired barmaid then looked at her smiling best friend again before she wiped her tears away and smiled back.

"Um...I am interrupting something?" The seven wizards turned and saw Hoshi standing in the doorway, rubbing the back her head with an awkward look on her face.

"Who's that?" Lucy whispered.

"No idea." Happy whispered back while Natsu looked at the burgundy-haired woman, shocked that he felt as though he had seen her before but couldn't say why.

"I can come back later." The staff wizard said before she started to turn.

"No, wait!" Juvia said before turning into water and reconstituting herself next to the behatted woman. She placed and hand on her shoulder and turned to the others in the room. "Everyone, this is Hoshi. She helped me out during the Battle of Fairy Tail. In fact, she was the one that defeated Evergreen."

"Woah!" Happy said in astonishment.

"So I have you to thank for saving Elfman and the others." Mira said with a grateful nod.

"It's no big deal." Hoshi said with a bashful expression. However, her eyes settled on a certain dragon-slayer. She then took a deep breath and walked towards the dragon-slayer. "Hi."

"Um, hi." Natsu replied before raising an eyebrow. "Have...have we met?"

A sad smile appeared on Hoshi's face. "We have. But I wouldn't expect you to remember me. After all, it's been so long since the last time we saw each other. And the last time we did...things didn't end well."

Natsu thought carefully about it, and in a flash of realization, his eyes widened as he pieced it together. Her name. Her burgundy hair. Her golden eyes. Both of which she inherited from their father.

" _So Dad had to help you again, huh?"_

" _Put my brother down you...you meanie!"_

To the shock of everyone in the room, Natsu's lips began to quiver, and tears began to flow down his face.

" _JUST RUN, NATSU!"_

"I-is it really you?" Natsu whispered, his eyes watering up. Hoshi said nothing as her own tears began to flow, giving the dragon-slayer a smile and a nod. And as soon as she did that, the salmon-haired wizard embraced her in a hug. "I thought...I thought you were dead."

"And I thought you'd hate me." Hoshi replied, resting her face on Natsu's head, soaking his salmon hair with her tears.

"I could never hate you." Natsu cried out. "You saved me that night. If anything, you should hate me. After all...I…"

"What happened that night wasn't your fault." The staff wizard replied. "And I could never hate you, little brother."

The others in the room said nothing. After all, those who knew of Natsu's past smiled and teared up at this reunion. And those who didn't know the full details were still moved by the touching display. Because sometimes, no words are needed to be said at all.

_Dear Mom,_

_Remember how my last letter said that things had been crazy? Well, it turns out the craziness wasn't over just yet._

_During the Harvest Festival, a team of Fairy Tail wizards called the Thunder Legion attempted to take over the guild. They turned a few of the guys into stone statues and pitted the rest of us against each other. It was pretty tough, but we managed to pull through._

_After the battle was over, we learned that one of the visiting wizards that helped us, Hoshi Katagiri, was Natsu's supposedly dead sister. She explained that after the fire had burnt their house down, Hoshi was rescued by a wandering wizard named Solomon. He taught her how to use staff magic, and since then, she had been wandering around Fiore, taking freelance jobs whenever she could. During her stay in Galio, she saw the news about Fairy Tail defeating Lullaby and immediately recognized Natsu from the photo. That's when she decided to head to Magnolia in hopes of reuniting with him._

_In gratitude for helping Fairy Tail during a time of crisis, Master Lyle offered Hoshi the chance to join the guild, which she pretty much accepted on the spot. After all, she and Natsu have a lot of catch up on._

_Speaking of Master Lyle, he was considering expelling the entire Thunder Legion from the guild, even his nephew, Reginald. But to everyone's surprise, Laxus stepped in and took all the blame himself, saying that the Thunder Legion shouldn't suffer for following the orders of (and I'm using the term he used) a shitty leader. So Laxus was the only member expelled from the guide. Rumor has it that he's left to go visit some family up in Coros._

_Mystogan, or Jackson as I should say, remains as aloof as ever. But he did leave a note for Natsu, Alyssa, Zeke and Happy stating that the next time he visits the guild, he won't be using a sleeping spell, meaning that they'll finally be able to talk again._

_So as you can imagine, everyone needed a bit of a pick me up after all of this drama. And it turns out the solution was the Fantasia Parade, which all of the members of Fairy Tail participated in (I even got to wear a super cute cheerleader outfit and did a routine with Levy and Bisca). Zeke and Juvia did a light and water show on their float, Alyssa and Erza did a form of dance fighting, and Natsu even made some cool skywriting with his magic._

_Like I've said before, things are a bit crazy in Fairy Tail. But I wouldn't have it any other way._

_Love, Lucy._

_P.S. Zeke and Juvia hooked up! Totally called that!_


	7. The Blind Date

_Chapter 7: The Blind Date_

Two weeks had passed since the Battle of Fairy Tail, and things had gotten back to normal in Magnolia. Or as normal as they can get. After the Fantasia Parade, Lyle officially inducted Kageyama and Hoshi into the guild, with the Shadow Wizard receiving a black guild mark on the back of his left hand while the Staff wizard got a golden guild mark on her right forearm. There was also some earlier tension with the remaining members of the Thunder Legion, but the four wizards made it a point to get along with their fellow guildmates rather than isolate themselves. Freed cut his hair to show his dedication, Bickslow allowed Romeo and a few of the other kids to play with his 'babies', Evergreen volunteered to be the muse for Reedus' next painting (although she did see it as an excuse to fault her beauty), and Reginald was working overtime as a bartender.

Yup, everything had gotten back to normal in Fairy Tail. But with normalcy can come boredom, which is what Lucy felt as she ate lunch at the guildhall. Team Morningstar had recently gone on a monster hunting mission in honor of Alexander (who had been under trial membership due to his criminal record) and Hoshi (who Natsu insisted should join them) becoming full-fledged members of their now seven-member team. The Staff Wizard had a calm persona in contrast to her younger brother and could be a bit awkward at times. But in the heat of battle, her focus hardened like steel. And with her and Alexander's help, Team Morningstar managed to slay the monster (a fang worm in case you were wondering) that was terrorizing the town of Vero, earning a substantial reward (Lucy's cut allowing her to pay off her rent for the month).

Back to the aforementioned blonde, she sighed as she rested her chin on her hand. While she was thankful that she managed to pay her rent on time, it also meant that there was no rush to go out on another job. And as much as she often complained about her team's tendencies to go, at least was never bored when she was with them. In her boredom, Lucy decided to look around and see what her guildmates were up to.

The first people she saw were Natsu and Alyssa. The couple was sitting at a table with various books and info lacrima spread across it. After things had calmed down, the two decided to study up on their recently unlocked Second Origins. So far, they had managed to discover the names of their magic, what they represented, and some of the basic chants that went with them. Natsu's Second Origin was Beast Aura Magic, which calls upon the hidden animal instincts of the caster and manifests aura that can shape itself into animalistic traits (like the claws he had conjured up during his battle with Laxus). Alyssa's was called Soul Armor Magic, which allows the caster to manifest armor created from their magical energy to enhance their strength, speed, and durability.

After mentally chuckling that Natsu of all people was hitting the books, Lucy turned her head in another direction and saw that Zeke and Juvia were enjoying one of the Rain Woman's homemade lunches. Zeke had also done some research into his Second Origin and learned that it was Fighting Spirit Magic, which allows the caster to summon a manifestation of their inner soul to aid them in battle. In the present, the brunette took a bite of the casserole his new girlfriend had made, beaming with joy at the taste.

"So delicious!" He practically sang, causing Juvia to get a bashful smile. "This is way better any restaurant food!"

"Oh, stop. You're just exaggerating." Juvia said, holding her hands to her cheeks as a blush appeared on her smiling face. Zeke then held her hand, causing to Juvia to look into her boyfriend's eyes. And at this moment, Lucy could've sworn that the air around the new couple began to sparkle.

"I'm exaggerating one bit." The archer said with a smile. "I can tell that you put your heart and soul into this dish. And the fact that you made for me just makes it even more divine."

"Zeke…" Juvia said, her eyes sparkling with love.

"Juvia…"

Lucy sweatdropped as the two continued to stare into each other's eyes and repeated their partner's name. The bored blonde looked around and saw Alexander and Mirajane chatted at the bar. The two seemed to be having a normal conversation until the one-eyed celestial wizard leaned in and whispered something into the barmaid's ear. Whatever he said caused the white-haired beauty to turn as red as a cherry. Lucy then turned another direction and saw Alzack and Bisca chatting about various gun models, turned again to see Cana and Gray laughing at a dirty joke the card wizard had said, and turned again and saw Reginald showing Erza a cake cookbook, the redhead's eyes sparkling at the thought of various sweets.

With a groan, the blond rested her head on the table until she heard someone greet her.

"Hey, Lucy." Hoshi said as she and Happy took a seat at the blonde's table.

"Oh, hey guys." Lucy said, her mood noticeably down.

"Is something wrong?" The staff wizard asked in concern.

"Did you eat some bad fish?" Happy asked. "I know that makes me feel all grumbly."

"What happened to expanding your food palette?" The blonde asked with a deadpan expression.

"Baby steps." The blue cat replied before turning up to Hoshi. "Aunt Hoshi, is Lucy having lady problems?"

Hearing the cat say this freaked the two women out. Not catching on this, Happy continued. "Because sometimes, Alyssa gets cranky and moody for a few days. I think Lucy's having the same…"

An angered Lucy then closed the cat's mouth. "No, Happy. I am not having lady problems."

"Do you even know what that means?" Hoshi asked, only for the cat to shake his head.

"Whenever I ask anyone in the guild, they either get embarrassed or say they'll explain it to me when I'm older."

The two women gave a sigh of relief. The last thing anyone needed was for Happy to make jokes about lady problems. However, the staff wizard did notice that Lucy was still a bit glum. She followed the blonde's line of sight and saw that she was looking at Natsu and Alyssa's table. While at first, the thought of her little brother being in a committed relationship was a bit surreal, Hoshi was ultimately glad that Natsu had such a close bond with someone that truly made him happy.

"Having a boyfriend must be nice." The staff wizard heard Lucy mumble. Hoshi looked around and saw the same couples and pseudo-couples hanging around the guild before looking back and the bored blonde. Suddenly, an idea popped in the staff wizard's head before she stood up.

"I just remembered, I still need to buy some stuff for my room." Hoshi said, referring to her room at Fairy Hills. "I'll see you guys later."

"Okay. Bye, Aunt Hoshi." Happy said with a wave.

"See ya." Lucy stated in a bored tone. The staff wizard then walked towards Natsu and Alyssa's table and whispered something into the orange-haired woman's ear. The speed queen then gave off a big smile.

"Count me in!" Alyssa said in excitement.

"What're you guys talking about?" Natsu asked.

"Oh, just girl stuff." Hoshi explained as Alyssa stood up.

"Sorry Natsu, but I gotta help Hoshi with this." The speed queen explained. "We'll pick this up later, okay?"

"No problem." The dragon-slayer replied. While he looked bored on the outside, he was glad that his sister and girlfriend seemed to be getting along. "Have fun doing whatever."

Alyssa leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before heading off with Hoshi, making a small smile appear on Natsu's face before he went back to his research.

_**Later that night…** _

Erza was walking down the halls of Fairy Hills, making her way to the foyer. After she had left the guildhall, she found a piece of paper crammed under her door. The message on the paper read as such;

**Super Important All Girls Meeting in the foyer! Anyone who doesn't come is a big jerk!**

As she walked to said foyer, the requip wizard tried to figure out who was behind the impromptu meeting. At first, she thought it was Mira, but the barmaid had better penmanship that whoever wrote the letter. Juvia was too polite to call anyone a jerk and Laki would've worded the letter in a confusing way. So she assumed the culprit was Cana attempting to get the girls to go to a strip club...again.

'Honestly, if she wants to see a guy strip for her, she should just get with Gray already.' The redhead thought to herself as she reached the foyer, seeing that almost every resident of Fairy Hills was already there. She turned to the front of the lobby and saw Alyssa & Hoshi standing next to something covered in a tarp.

"Hey, Tin Can!" Alyssa greeted her rival. "Take a seat."

The redhead raised an eyebrow before sitting down in between Cana and Mira.

"Alright, thanks for coming everyone." The orange-haired amazon greeted. "Now, you're probably wondered why…" She stopped when she noticed Robin raised her hand. "Um, yes Robin?"

"Are there going to be strippers at this meeting?" The fedora-wearing woman asked.

"Um, no." Hoshi said, a bit uncomfortable with the question.

"And like that, you've lost me. Goodnight, everyone." The wire wizard said as she got up, only to be dragged back down by Natalie summoning chains around her.

"As I was saying, you're probably wondering why Hoshi and I gathered you all here." Alyssa had said before she began marching in front of the board like a general addressing their troops. "You see, it has recently been brought to my attention that a good friend of ours has been feeling down lately. She's been sitting back watching from afar while we've been enjoying one of the great pleasures of life."

"The f*&k are you talking about?" Natalie asked, not knowing where the Speed Queen was going with this speech.

"So that's why Alyssa and I have devised a plan to help our comrade get out of her funk!" Hoshi said before pulling back the tarp, revealing a blackboard with several pictures. In the center was a picture of Lucy while pictures of various men from the guild circled it. The pictures of Natsu, Zeke, Alexander, Gray, Alzack, Reginald, Lyle, Makarov, Macao, and Wakaba all had red Xs on them.

"Operation Get Lucy a Boyfriend!" The Speed/Fighting Spirit Wizard and Staff/Requip Wizard said together. The rest the girls reacted in mild surprise (Cana, Bisca, Laki and Erza's reactions) to not caring (Natalie and Robin). The only ones who seemed excited about the plan were Mirajane and Levy.

"As you can probably tell, we've already eliminated any guy already in a relationship or out of Lucy's age group." Hoshi said, referring to the X-marked photos.

"But why are Gray and Reginald crossed off?" Laki asked. "They're still single."

"Wait, really?" The staff wizard replied in confusion before looking at Cana and Erza. "I thought they were dating you two."

Cana just scoffed before taking a sip of wine while Erza broke out in a blush and started to stutter.

"D-don't be ridiculous! Reginald and I a-aren't like that a-at all! We're just friends!"

"Well then," Alyssa said with a smirk. "I guess we can put them on the…"

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" The female members of Team Maelstrom yelled out, only to sit back down as they the various women smirking at their denial.

"So, let's start going over the list of potential candidates." Alyssa before pointing to a photo of Elfman. "Elfman, yes or no?"

The girls thought about this for a moment before deciding on a unanimous Nah. While the man did have a gentle side to him, they concluded that his brash nature and constant proclamations of manliness would probably get on Lucy's nerves real quick.

"So, Elfman's out." Alyssa said as she drew an X on his picture, no one noticing Hoshi giving a brief sigh of relief. "How about Gajeel?"

And as soon as she said that, Natalie and Robin burst out in laughter.

"Are you freakin' serious?!" The ring wizard said between laughs.

"Gajeel would eat blonde up! He's too hardcore for a princess like her!" Robin said, giggling so much that her fedora fell off her head.

After thinking about for a second, Hoshi drew an X on Gajeel's picture.

"Why don't we try setting her up with Jet or Droy?" Levy suggested. "Trust me; they're nice guys."

"Ya, except for the fact that you have those two dolts wrapped around your finger." Evergreen taunted, causing the solid script wizard to pout as Alyssa crossed the two off the board.

"Maybe Bickslow?" Bisca suggested. And as soon as the green-haired woman suggested that, Alyssa, Hoshi, and Evergreen remembered how the Seith Wizard acted during his battle with Lucy (based on recountings of the events from both combatants) and unanimously decided that the masked man was out of the question. But as Alyssa was crossing out Bickslow's picture, she took a glance at the one next to it. And like a flash of lightning, the amazonian woman had an epiphany.

"That's it! He's perfect!" Alyssa declared before pointing to the picture. The other girls looked at who she was pointing at, thought about for a moment, and came to a similar conclusion to their larger friend.

_**And then…** _

"Well, that was a gigantic waste of time." Natalie said as she flopped onto Robin's bed, reading a magazine as she did. The aforementioned wire wizard was in the midst of changing, placing her fedora on her hat/coat rack.

"No kidding." The pale blonde woman agreed.

"Serious, why did they invite us? Why the hell should we care if Princess gets laid?" The ring wizard asked before sighing in boredom. She then noticed Robin looking through the trunk she keep on the foot of her bed. "Whatcha looking for?"

"Well, things have gotten a bit boring around here lately. So I decided to bring out an old friend." The wire wizard said with a mischievous smirk before pulling something out of her trunk. Said something an ominous-looking potion bottle with suspicious dark purple liquid and a cork shaped like a goat demon skull. "This oughta lighten things up."

The female members of the Unholy Trinity gained a mischievous glint in their eyes, anticipating the fun they were going to have tomorrow.

_**The Next Day…** _

"A blind date?" Lucy asked.

"Yup! We already set it up!" Hoshi said with a reassuring thumbs-up.

"I don't know." The blonde wizard replied. "It sounds kind of sketchy."

"Well, we made sure it was a guy from the guild instead of a total stranger." Alyssa explained. But just as she did that, they heard sounds of tables crashing as Natsu and Gajeel engaged in a fist fight.

"It's not my fault your music sucks, metalhead!" The salmon-haired wizard yelled out.

"I didn't ask for your opinion, pinky!" The pierced man exclaimed.

"MY HAIR'S NOT PINK! IT'S SALMON!"

"KEEP TELLING YOURSELF THAT!"

"Ya, that's not very reassuring." Lucy said with a sweatdrop.

"Come on, Lucy! We put a lot of work into this!" The orange-haired woman said, placing her hands together and bowing. "Please, please, please!"

"You were the one groaning about not having a boyfriend." Hoshi stated. Lucy thought about for a moment. It was true that she hadn't had the best luck with men. Hell, she had never been on a date before. And most of the guys in the guild were either already in a relationship or at least had eyes for someone else.

"Okay, I guess I'll go." The blonde celestial wizard said. Alyssa and Hoshi high-fived in celebration.

"Alright. Your date's going to be waiting for you at the Chateau at 8 pm. The food's a little pricey, but it's got a fantastic atmosphere." Alyssa explained as Lucy walked out of the guild.

"Be sure to make yourself look pretty." Hoshi said. Lucy smiled and waved back. As she headed to her apartment to prepare for her blind date, she did feel a bit excited. Earlier in the week, a photographer from Sorcerer Weekly named Jason had come to interview the guild. The eccentric man was excited to talk almost everyone in the guild, but never once did Jason notice, interview or even snap a picture of Lucy. Sufficed to say to say, this was a blow to the Celestial Wizard's ego. So as she entered her apartment, she grabbed Cancer's eye. Whoever her blind date was, she was going to knock his socks off.

Back at the guild, Robin and Natalie were hiding behind a pillar, the fedora-wearing woman holding the mysterious vial in her hand.

"Now, who shall be the first victim?" The wire wizard asked, looking over the busy guildhall. "So many choices."

Natalie was also doing her own reconnaissance and saw a shirtless Gray walking by. "Let's start with Mr. Stripper."

A mischievous grin came across Robin's face before she removed the demonic-looking cork from the bottle and several tiny bubbles floated out. She then blew the bubbles in Gray's direction, with the Ice Wizard know the wiser as they entered his mouth. Gray stopped for a second, his body going still as the effects of the potion started to kick in. A light purple aura flared around him, and his eyes became obscured in shadows. The shirtless wizard then walked towards the bar counter where Happy was chowing on some sushi.

"You've got some nerve." The Ice-Make wizard spat out, getting the cat's attention. And when Happy saw the angry look in Gray's eyes, he suddenly got a very bad feeling. "You're flying around, free as a bird, trying the show me up!"

"Wait, what?!" Happy asked in confusion, dropping his chopsticks in the process.

"I'm incredibly strong, and I can't fly! And you're pathetically weak but you can! As far as I'm concerned, we're even!" The black-haired wizard proclaimed before aggressively pointing at the freaked out cat. "LISTEN UP! AS OF TODAY, YOU ARE MY RIVAL!"

Robin and Natalie started to laugh their asses off as Happy was scared out of his wits.

"Come on, let me see whatcha got!"

"Somebody help! Gray's gone crazy!" Happy screamed before flying away. "Please don't let him hurt me!"

"Get back here and fight me!" The crazed Ice wizard shouted as he ran after his new rival.

"To think he'd wind up with the freakin' cat!" Natalie laughed before Robin went to blow bubbles at nearly everyone in the guild. The effects were almost instantaneous, starting with Wakaba catching a punch from an angered Macao.

"You wanna tell me how much money you made last month?!" Macao asked in anger.

"I bet it's more than you make in a year." Wakaba replied with a smirk.

"You only wish you could make as much as I do!" The Purple Flare wizard shouted.

"Give me a break, man! Everyone know's I'm worth more than you!" The smoking wizard had exclaimed before the two started to butt heads.

"Remind me why I waste my time hanging out with you."

"It's because you want to keep tabs on your competition, eh?!"

"Elfman!" Natsu shouted, pointing at the tall man. "I'm sick and tired of you screaming Man this and Man that! You compensating for something?!"

"I fault my manliness to show I'm the manliest man in the guild! Which is more than I can say for you, Pinkie!" The large tan man said with a scowl as he cracked his knuckles.

"Please, I'm more of a man than you'll ever be!" The fire dragon-slayer shouted as he glared at his taller foe.

"Them's fighting words, boy!" The take-over wizard replied as sparks flew between the two.

"I drink you, alcohol! You don't drink me!" Makarov yelled at a barrel of beer. "Now listen, you! I'm more than strong enough to kick your well-fermented hide! We were destined by fate to be rivals!"

"You seriously think alcohol's your rival, Makarov?" Max asked as he and Warren were lucky enough to be unaffected by Robin's prank. "That's weird."

"Are you talking about all of it in general or just that barrel in front of you?" Warren asked.

"YOU THINK YOU CAN DRINK ME?! I'LL NEVER LET THAT HAPPEN!" Makarov shouted as he started to chug a mug full of wine.

"I saw those fancy moves you did during the Mr. Fairy Tail contest." Zeke said as stared down Alzack, with Emerald Aegis glaring at the gunner from behind its caster. "Were you trying to show off or something?!"

"I was just reminding everyone who the best marksman in Fairy Tail is." Alzack replied with a cocky smirk.

"Oh, please. I can hit an apple out of a tree from fifty yards away!" The brunette boasted.

"I can do same from a hundred yards away!" The gunslinger boasted back.

"Two-hundred yards with a blindfold on!" Zeke proclaimed as he butted heads his the Gun Wizard.

"Four-hundred yards facing the opposite direction!" Alzack shouted, pushing back against his new rival.

"Curse you, wretched pillar!" Erza exclaimed, pointing at...well, a pillar. "Why must you block my path?! Shattering my dreams of passing through here unhindered! Answer me, scoundrel!"

When she got no answer, the requip wizard scowled. "Is silence your way of challenging me to fight you?! From the moment I met you, I knew we would be rivals!"

"Bring it on, Red!" Mira shouted as she approached the requip wizard with her fist clenched. "Let's fight like we used to back in the old days! But this time, I'm not holding back! 'Cause there's no way I'm going to lose to my life-long rival!"

As more and more of the guild members began to declare new rivalries, Robin and Natalie were laughing their asses off.

"You can't buy entertainment this good!" Robin said between laughs.

"I think I'm gonna bust a gut!" Natalie laughed out.

"Should've of known you two were behind this." The ladies turned and saw Gajeel standing behind them with a bag of lug nuts and screws in his hand. He looked at the vial in Robin's hands, recognizing the evil-looking liquid.

For you see, back the Unholy Trinity was still part of Phantom Lord, Robin had purchased the suspicious potion under the assumption that it was a potent aphrodisiac. But when she used it on two of her guildmates in an attempted menage a trois, her two potential partners starting fighting and declared each other rivals. The wire wizard tried to return the Rival Potion (as Gajeel called it) but discovered that the shady merchant she had bought from had skipped town. And while this initially bummed her out, the Unholy Trinity quickly realized that they had a way of living things up whenever things got boring. Natalie even had a scrapbook for all the times they used the Rival Potion on Phantom Lord just for fun.

"Don't spoil our fun, Gajeel." The ring wizard said.

"Who said anything about me stopping ya?" The iron dragon-slayer said before sitting down in between his teammates, watching the unfolding carnage with a bemused smirk as he started to chow down on his metal snacks. "I'm just here to enjoy the show."

And as everyone in the guild continued to go rival crazy, the Unholy Trinity just sat back and watched.

_**And then…** _

'I am smokin' hot tonight!' Lucy thought to herself as she headed towards the Chateau. The blonde celestial wizard was wearing her new black and white dress, showing off a tasteful amount of cleavage with a heart-shaped necklace around her neck. Her hair had also been giving a salon quality makeover courtesy of cancer. As she approached the restaurant, Lucy took a look at her watch and saw that it was 7:53 PM.

'Looks like I got here a little early.' She thought to herself. But as she walked closer to the Chateau, she saw a familiar face standing near the entrance.

"Um, Freed, was it?" Lucy asked, getting the green-haired man's attention. The blonde looked over the rune wizard and saw that he was wearing a three-piece suit that was the same color as his usual attire. While she didn't say it out loud, she did think he looked handsome in that getup.

"Lucy, right? I guess you're my blind date." Freed greeted the blonde woman.

"Yup. I guess Alyssa and Hoshi put you up to this?"

"Actually, Erza and Evergreen were the ones who...persuaded me." The rune wizard said with sweat rolling down the back of his head as he remembered how Erza held him at sword-point, basically threatening the man to agree to the blind date while Evergreen told him at he would be turned to stone if he was anything but a gentleman. Lucy saw the sweat and mentally put two and two together. "But never mind that. Let's head inside."

"Sure thing." Lucy nodded back as Freed held the door open for her. The two walked in and saw that the Chateau was indeed a high-class establishment, with several well-dressing couples in the middle of dining, elegant chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and an instrumental band playing in the back.

"Woah, Alyssa wasn't kidding." The celestial wizard said, Freed nodding in agreement.

"It's eloquent if nothing else." The green-haired wizard stated as a portly brunette woman in a blue floral dress approached the two.

"Ah, you must be Freed Justine and Lucy Heartfilia." The woman said with a kind expression.

"Ya, that's us." Lucy answered.

"Wonderful! I'm Madame Jemar, the owner of this fine establishment. Come this way." She said before leading them to the door near the end of the institution. "Your friend Alyssa reserved the starlight table for you."

She then opened the door, and two saw that a table had been set for them in a patio area with the starlit sky visible. A platter of bread and a lit candle were already on the table.

"I'll send a waiter to get your orders in a few minutes." Jemar said before leaving the two. Freed and Lucy then proceeded to sit down, with Lucy thinking that tonight might end up being alright after all.

_**Back at the Guild…** _

"Hey, Gramps!" Cana yelled out as she approached the bar, where Makarov was still trying to defeat alcohol by drinking all of it. "I've come to challenge you! I've wanted to see who would win at drinking!"

"You aren't worthy to call yourself my rival!" The tiny man exclaimed. "My enemy is alcohol itself!"

"You'll never win!" The card wizard had shouted before she started chugging a mug full of rum.

"The cowboy girl is soooo played out." Hoshi said as she stared down Bisca. "Why don't you try something more original?"

"At least my look has a consistent theme!" The green-haired woman exclaimed. "What the hell is your look supposed to be anyway?! For crying out loud, who wears half-ripped jeans with a cabby hat?!"

"Three against three, huh?" Reginald said with Bickslow and Evergreen behind him. "You may have the same numbers as we do right now, but we're clearly the superior wizards."

"What kind of trash are you talking?" Levy asked with her arms crossed while Jet and Droy stood next to her. "Everyone knows we're the strongest team! You guys wanna fight us?!"

"There's only room for one reformed bad boy in the guild, and it ain't you, Alex!" Kageyama shouted at the one-eyed man.

"Please. I don't even need to summon any of my spirits to kick your ass, Pineapple Head." The blue-haired wizard taunted back.

"Okay, finished tallying up your numbers?" Macao asked as held a stack of his previous job flyers in his hands.

"Ya, it was done a long time ago, you slowpoke." Wakaba spat back. "Just waiting on you. It looks like I'm better than you in every way."

"Ya right, buddy! We'll just have to see about that!"

"Okay, when I say go…"

"Bring it on!" The fire wizard shouted. "Last month, I earned exactly…"

"Go! 150,000!" The two shouted at the same time. "We made the same amount?! Then we'll have to go by the month before!"

"You're nuts if you think you can beat me in an eating contest!" Natsu shouted as he and Elfman were in the midst of eating a smorgasbord of food.

"A real man can eat any amount of food faster than his opponent!" Elfman proclaimed as ripped off a piece of pork off a bone. "You don't stand a chance, tiny!"

"We'll see about that!" The dragon-slayer had exclaimed before he started biting into a cooked turkey.

Several cans were shot off a high beam by a barrage of green arrows.

"Fifteen targets in under ten seconds. Try topping that!" Zeke said to his new rival with an arrogant smirk.

"Set them up again!" Alzack shouted as he waved his guns around. "I'll shoot them down in five seconds flat!"

As Warren and Max continued to be baffled at the guildmates' erratic behavior, the Unholy Trinity were having a riot, Natalie even recording the proceeding with a camera lacrima.

"This is comedy gold!" The ring wizard shouted, pounding the floor with her fists as she laid face-down.

"A thousand jewel says Pinkie and the Big Guy choke on their food." Gajeel said.

"I'm in." Robin said before feeling a wave of killing intent wash over her. The fedora-wearing wizard slowly turned around and saw Juvia glaring at her the same all the other rivals were glaring at each other. "Oh, h-Hey Juvia. What's up?"

"Roooobinnn." The water wizard said with venom. "I know you wanted to sleep with Zeke a while back."

"Who told you that?!"

"Natalie did, back when you guys first joined Fairy Tail."

The wire wizard glared at her friend, who was looking away and whistling non-chanlantly. "You traitor."

"Listen up, Robin! Even though I've already claimed Zeke as my boyfriend, that won't stop me from annihilating any of my love rivals! And that includes you!" The blue-haired woman proclaimed as a torrent of water started to flow around her, freaking the wire wizard out.

"I'm not gonna steal your ma…"

"TASTE MY AQUATIC FURY!" Juvia shouted before blasting Robin away with a torrent of water.

"Should we help her?" Gajeel asked as the rain woman chased after their pale blonde friend.

"Nah. She's got this." Natalie replied.

"YOU DICKS!" Robin shouted as she ran away from the crazed water wizard.

"ZEKE IS MINE, NOT YOURS!"

_**Back at the Chateau…** _

Lucy and Freed were in the midst of enjoying their appetizers but had hit a bit of bump. Mainly, they had no idea what to say to each other. After all, the two had never had any real interaction before now, and the most recent topic on their minds was the recent Battle of Fairy Tail, which never one felt was a good topic to bring up.

'Say something to her. This is getting unbearable.' Freed mentally chastised himself. 'But what am I supposed to say? The only I thing I know that we in common is the placement of our guild marks, and that's not much of a conversation.'

'Come on, Lucy! You can do this!' The celestial wizard mentally said to herself. 'You've written and read about people going on dates a thousand times in your novels!'

And at the mention of books, a conversation topic appeared in Lucy's head before she addressed her date. "So, do you like books?" 'Wow, that's a lame conversation starter.'

'Oh, thank Mavis.' Freed thought himself since he could finally talk about something. "Yes. In fact, I'm a bit of literature aficionado."

"Me too." Lucy said with a smile. "So do you got any favorite authors?"

"I do actually? I guess you have your own favorites." He said, getting a nod in return.

"I'm a big fan of Kemu Zaleon, but I've recently gotten into Carol Striders' works."

"Good choices." Freed complemented. "I myself am particular of the works of George Edwards, Araki Kujo, and Samantha Holl…" He suddenly realized what he was about to say and clamped his mouth shut.

"What was that last one?" Lucy asked with her head tilted.

'Damn it all!' The rune wizard mentally exclaimed with a light blush on his face before sighing and looking at his date again. "Alright, just promise me you won't laugh."

"Sure." The blonde replied, still confused on why her date was acting so weird as he took a breath.

"I'm a fan of Samantha Holland's work." The green-haired admitted with a hint of embarrassment.

For those of you who don't know, Samantha Holland was an author most revered for her work in contemporary romance. While many women in Fiore adored her work, many men found her books to be a bit too sappy. Except for Freed apparently.

"I don't get why you're so embarrassed by that." Lucy stated.

"Well, when rest of the Thunder Legion found out, they spent three hours laughing at me." Freed explained. "Except for Reginald. He actually asked me to lend him a few of my books to him."

"Well, that figures." Lucy said. The dirty blond barkeep was similar to a few of the male leads in Holland's works. "But you shouldn't be ashamed of being a Holland fan. All the matters is that you found an author you like, so don't be afraid of liking her work."

Hearing this made Freed smile, and soon, the two were having a delightful talk about their favorite writers, and their favorite works of said writers. Soon enough, the two began to feel a bit more comfortable as they started to chat about their teams, their hobbies and the inner workings of their magic.

_**Back at the Guild…** _

" _Requip: Heaven's Wheel!"_ Erza chanted before her signature armor manifested around her. With a loud yell, the redhead began to impaled the pillar with an increasing amount of swords.

"Come on, Erza, cut it out!" Max yelled in fear.

"It took us a long time to rebuild the place! Don't go and wreck it!" Warren chimed in.

"Silence! This vile pillar insists on standing in my way! I need to go further inside, and yet it blocks my path! I KNOW IT SECRETLY MOCKS ME WHEN I HAVE TO TAKE TIME TO WALK AROUND IT! It's unrelenting in its obstruction of my course! Why would it do that unless it was my greatest rival?!"

"GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE AND FIGHT ME, ERZA!" Mirajane shouted. "It's time we finish this once and for all!"

"Are you blind?! Can't you see I'm in the midst of battle with my life-long rival?!"

As her anger swelled up, Mira's magic energy started to burst out. "I WON'T BE IGNORED!  _TAKE-OVER: SATAN SOUL!"_

In a flash of light, the barmaid had transformed into her signature Take-Over form.

"MIRA!" Alyssa shouted as she ran towards the Take-Over wizard. "Our last fight may've ended in a draw, but this time, I'M GONNA WIN!"

As she charged towards her foe, her Empress Armor manifested on her arms and legs before blasting towards the Take-Over wizard.

 **"GET OUT OF MY WAY!"**  Mira shouted as the two women and the Fighting Spirit began to tussle.

"IF ANYONE SHOULD BE GUILD MASTER, IT SHOULD BE ME!" Ur exclaimed as she launched an Ice Gorilla construct at Lyle, only for the Absorption Wizard to turn his skin into diamond and smash the ice animal apart with his enlarged fists.

"Tough talk coming from someone who spent the last ten years as a giant popsicle!"

Sufficed to say, Fairy Tail was in a state of mass hysteria. The Thunder Legion and Shadow Gear were having a pose off, Makarov and Cana were getting woozy from their constant drinking, Juvia attempted to drown Robin, Zeke and Alzack were still trying to one-up each other in marksmanship, Hoshi and Bisca were still arguing about fashion, Kageyama and Alexander were attempting to beat the crap out of each other, Natsu and Elfman had moved on from competitive eating to arm wrestling, and Gray had fallen off the cliff behind the guild in an attempt to fly despite Happy's insistence not too.

_**And then…** _

After the two had finished their dinner, Freed insisted on walking Lucy back to her apartment, the two continuing to talk as they walked the streets of Magnolia. Eventually, they reached the front door of the celestial wizard's apartment.

"Tonight was fun." Freed said with a smile on his face.

"Ya, it was." Lucy said with a bright smile of her own as she held her hands behind her back.

"So…" The rune wizard started to say, rubbing the back of his head. "I suppose I'll see you around the guild then."

Seeing his slightly bashful expression made the blonde giggle slightly, finding it to be adorable. And in a burst of confidence, the celestial wizard moved closer to her date, leaned up a bit, and placed a kiss on his cheek. The rune wizard's eyes widened in surprise as he looked down at the smiling blonde, who was now sporting a light blush of her own.

"We should do this again, sometime." She said with sincerity. The green-haired man said nothing for a few seconds before smiling and nodding.

"Absolutely." He said before Lucy unlocked her door and entered her apartment. "Good night, Lucy."

"Good night, Freed." The blonde said before closing the door. As soon as she did this, she placed a hand on her chest, feeling her heart beating. The only other time it had beat like that was when she was caught in Bora's Charm Spell. But unlike before, there was no magic causing her heart to beat and her cheeks to flush. This was the real deal. 'See you tomorrow.'

As Lucy started to get ready for bed, Freed was walking the streets, also placing his hand on his chest and feeling his heartbeat as he thought of seeing the blonde again. Sufficed to say, the two had pleasant dreams that night.

_**The Next Day…** _

The sun had risen over Magnolia once more, with Lucy humming to herself as she walked towards Fairy Tail.

"Morning, Lucy." The blonde turned and saw Freed walking across the bridge near her place.

"Oh, hey Freed." Lucy greeted back, happy to see the rune wizard. "So, what brings you down here?"

"I figured you'd enjoy some company as you walked to the guild." He said with a kind smile.

"You figured right." She said as the two began to walk and talk. Eventually, the two arrived at Fairy Tail at were shocked at the damaged state of the guild.

"What happened?!" Freed yelled out.

"Probably another big bar fight." Lucy said with a sweatdrop as the two walked in and saw everyone was inside. Some of them were confused with little memory of what happened last night (Zeke and Alzack were wondering why there a bunch of target practice dummies with burning holes in them, Hoshi and Bisca were wondering why the hell they had traded hats, and Macao and Wakaba were confused about why they were holding all of their job flyers from the past year) while others had it a bit worse.

"Someone get me a raw egg, two shots of tabasco, salt, pepper and a gun to shoot myself." Cana groaned before turning and puking behind the bar.

"Same for me." Makarov said in pain from his legendary hangover.

"I'm so sorry, Robin!" Juvia exclaimed as she cried twin fountains of tears and held the unconscious and soaked wire wizard.

"I never thought I'd say this, but I think I ate too much last night." Natsu groaned as his skin turned green.

"Man." Elfman whispered as he turned the same shade of green.

"I feel like I went fifty rounds with a pack of vulcans." Alyssa groaned as she felt pain all over her body.

"Anyone see the train that hit me?" A slightly dizzy Mirajane asked as Erza looked the impaled pillar in confusion.

"I told you not to do it." Happy said as a soaked Gray walked into the guild.

"So, anybody wanna tell us what happened last night?" Lucy asked.

"Pure comedy gold, that's what." Natalie said as she twirled the camera lacrima on her finger.

"Ya really missed out, bunny girl." Gajeel stated as he followed his friend out the guild hall with the intention of selling last night's footage to Sorcerer Weekly. However, the blonde Celestial Wizard and Rune Wizard shared a look before smiling at each other. Whatever happened at the guild last night, it worth missing out on.

And in case you were wondering, Robin poured the rest of the Rival Potion down the drain when she got home that day, deciding that no amount of humor was worth drowning for.


	8. The Awakening

_Chapter 8: The Awakening_

_**Four Weeks Ago...** _

On the edge of Fiore's Northern Border, a group of people were in the midst of using dynamite to blast open the door to a hidden chamber. These people were adorned in black and blue clothes with the golden crest of Fiore on the left side of their chests and several floating lantern lacrimas were illuminating the no longer hidden chamber. These were the men and women of Fiore's 23rd Royal Exploratory Corps, a division of the military whose purpose was to uncover and document the mysteries of the country.

"Look at that!" One of the Corpsmen said as he pointed towards the wall. The lights from the lacrima illuminated the room and revealed what appeared to be a closed stone eye in the center of a rock mural on the wall. Said mural had the eye centered above an image of a castle with what appeared to be several waves coming out from the closed eye.

"What is this? Some kind of Diasian mural?"

After deliberating for a few minutes, they began the process of uncovering the mural. One female corpsman was dusting the closed orb. But as she did so, to her shock, she felt the orb twitch. It then opened up, revealing a dark blue eye.

"What the hell?!" She yelled out, getting the attention of the rest of the Corps. Before anyone could say anything, the now-opened eye began to glow and launched a beam of pure energy that so bright that it forced the Corpsmen to close their eyes. When they opened it again, they were horrified to see that their comrade's head and neck had been completely disintegrated, smoke coming from the inflamed skin.

And as the corpse fell to the floor, the eye began to move, emerging from the wall and floating in place. As it did so, the waves began to change color, revealing that they were, in fact, black tentacles that started to spaz out and stab two Corpsmen through their necks, killing them instantly. The orbis flesh that surrounded the eye was also black and covered in tiny hairs. As the Corpsmen were stunned by shock and horror, the inhuman being glanced at the group, the solitary eye narrowing as it saw the crest on their uniforms.

" _ **Fiorians."**_  The being somehow said in a male and female voice mixed with otherworldly echoes.

"What the f*&k is that thing?!" One the Corpsmen shouted.

"Kill it!" Another one of them yelled as he used Requip magic to conjure up a halberd. The rest of the Corpsmen quickly brought out their own weapons and readied their own magics, all while the being merely floated and observed them. The inhuman eye then began to glow and faster than any of the Corpsmen could react, the creature catapulted forward and blasted through one of the Corpsmen torso, causing viscera and blood to shoot out like a horrific geyser. It then proceeded to do the same to the other Corpsmen, bursting through them like an inhuman torpedo.

As the monster tore through his fellow Corpsmen, one of the terrified men quickly pulled his dagger out. And in a stroke of luck, just as the inhuman eye monster torpedoed towards him, he thrust his arm forward and managed to stab the creature right in the center of its eye. But instead of blood, what sprayed out of the creature's wound was pure dark blue mana as the man pushed the dagger further into the beast.

"DIE! DIE! DIE YOU F*&KING MONSTER!" The man shouted as the creature gave off an inhuman wail of agony, it's tentacles flailing about until the managed to sock the Corpsman in the head. With what sounded like a grunt of pain, the creature used two of its tentacles to pull out the dagger before blasting through the ceiling. With speed matching that of even the fastest speed wizards, the creature continued to soar until it found what it was looking for.

With the force of a meteorite, the creature landed in the middle of a barren desert, creating a crater 50 miles in length. The fact a simple dagger injured it proved that it had been asleep for too long. Its long slumber seemed to have drained it of most of its strength. So it would remain in this barren wasteland, bidding its time and regaining its energy.

And the next time it would wake up, it would complete its master's goal; the goal that was only stopped by the intervention of that damnable Samuel and his allies. But this time, there would be no stopping it.

_**Present Day…** _

Like Hargeon, the town of Orco was well-known as a hub for shipping and distribution all over Fiore. But unlike Hargeon, which only had one magic shop (not a particularly good one), Orco was a veritable market of magic stores and stands. If a wizard needed a particular item, they often travel to or export something from this town. And even through Team Morningstar was in town on official business, they were taking this opportunity to shop and hopefully buy some hard to find items.

And what was that official business? Well, two days before, Lyle had called the now seven-member team to his office and informed them that Fairy Tail and Titan Nose had been contracted by the Magic Council to take part in a high priority mission. The details of what exactly the mission entailed were classified and would be revealed by a Council representative when both teams had arrived.

Currently, Alexander was entering a store, the lanky shopkeep jumping over the counter and greeting him.

"Salutations, my good man!" The purple-haired man said before noticing the Fairy Tail mark on his eyepatch. "Let me guess; you're here to buy from my new shipment of Magic Pistols."

"Already got my own piece." Alexander replied, showing his Celestial Arm flintlock within his coat holster. "Word is that you got a Spirit Key."

"Oh ho!" The shopkeeper said before running back to counter. After rumbling around for a few seconds, he brought out a red box and placed it on the table. He opened it up, and Alexander's eye opened in shock. The key within the box was a red key with the in the shape of a claw and end showing a silhouette of a dragon.

"No bleedin' way! Is that…"

"Long, the Red Dragon? Why yes it is!" The shopkeeper stated as he pulled out the key to show it off. "And I assure you, this is the genuine article."

Alexander took hold of the key and started to look it over. There were no visible signs of forgery, and the metal that made up the key was the same as his other keys. There was no doubt in his mind; this was the real deal.

"So, much are we talking?" The one-eyed wizard asked.

"500,000 jewels. Plus tax." The shopkeeper said with a smile, causing Alexander to burst out in laughter. However, this stopped when saw that the shopkeeper wasn't laughing with him.

"Wait, you were serious? You expect me to pay 500 grand for a key?"

"Hey, you know as well as I do that colored Zodiac keys are one of a kind. Frankly, I'm offering you the key for half its worth."

"No...no...I won't be paying." Alexander said in a deadpan tone as he pocketed the key and started to walk towards the exit.

"Um, sir? If you're not going to pay, you're gonna need to give me the key back!" The shopkeeper said, only to be ignored. "S-Sir, wait!"

"Have a nice day." Alexander replied as he was just about to leave the store, only to stop as he felt a firm hand grip his left shoulder.

"Hold on!" The blue-haired man turned and saw that person firmly gripping his shoulder was a woman about his age. She had a swimmer's physique, tanned skin, short blonde hair, and blue eyes. Her outfit consisted of black athletic shorts, a dark yellow athletic top, dark yellow shoes, and an unzipped deep blue jacket. "If you're not gonna pay for that key, then put it back!"

"Look, missy. I gotta meet up with some of my friends, so how about you let go of me, and I won't kehaul you."

However, the woman's glare just intensified, telling Alexander that she wasn't going to let him walk away. Seeing no other option, the blue-haired pirate turned his head towards the shop's window and unleashed his secret technique.

"Holy crap! A naked fat man is riding a unicycle!"

The woman and the shopkeepers turned their heads and saw...a naked (and seemingly drunk) fat man riding a unicycle.

"Huh. You don't see that every day." The woman stated in bemused surprise.

"Oh, that's just Mikey. He's the town drunk. He pulls off crap like this all time. Last week, he ran through town covered mayonnaise."

After giggling at the mental image for a bit, the blonde woman turned back, only to see that Alexander had run out of the store while she and the shopkeeper were distracted by the town drunk's antics.

"My key!" The shopkeeper cried out in disappear while the woman stepped out of the store before looking around. Since she couldn't see Alexander amidst the crowd, she closed her eyes and began to sniff the air around her before opening them up again.

"Don't worry, sir! I'll show that one-eyed bastard that he can't escape…" She started to say as she got into a starting position. After taking a deep breath, she started to sprint in Alexander direction and proclaimed, "JUSTICE!"

A sweatdrop rolled on the shopkeeper's forehead as he stated, "Wizards really are an energetic lot."

In another part of town, Lucy was leaving the local bookstore with some new reading material in her arms. When Morningstar had arrived in town, they decided that they would meet back up in the lobby of the local hotel. And that's where Lucy was planning on heading back. But as she turned a corner, the blonde celestial wizard was suddenly bumped into by someone small. She looked down and saw that she had accidentally bumped into a girl with short light blue hair with a blue rose ornament adorned on the left side of her head. She was dressed in a white buttoned-up shirt with a black knee-length skirt, a dark blue pouch similar to Lucy's on the left side of said skirt, a light blue backpack draped over her shoulders and black shoes. If Lucy had to guess, this girl was around ten or eleven years old.

"Oh my gosh, are you okay?" Lucy asked out of concern as she helped the girl up.

"I'm all right." The girl calmly replied before looking up at Lucy, revealing her brown eyes. Said brown eyes widened in shock as she did. "Y-you're...you're…"

Lucy blinked in confusion as the tiny girl's eyes started to sparkle in admiration before she let out a squee. "You're Lucy Heartfilia! Ohmygosh, ohmygosh! I ran into Lucy Heartfilia!"

"Um...hi?" Lucy asked, unsure of how to react to this little girl's fangirling. Said little girl reached into her backpack and pulled out a newspaper article and a pen.

"C-Can I have your autograph?" She asked with an excited look on her face. Lucy looked down and saw that the girl was holding the article covering Team Morningstar's battles against Eisenwald and Lullaby. And while the blonde didn't say anything out loud, her ego was inflating due to the attention.

"Sure thing!" She said, grabbing the article and with a smile. "So, who am I making this out to?"

"Yukino Agria, ma'am!" The girl said with a cute salute. Lucy giggled at the girl's enthusiasm as she wrote her name on the article. She handed the signed article back to Yukino, who looked on in amazement. "Wow! Thank you so much!"

Lucy smiled at the small girl before looking at the younger girl's pouch. Upon closer inspection, she saw a ring with three silver Celestial Keys on it. She recognized the keys as Deneb the Swan, Polaris the Bear Cub, and a Nikola key.

"So you're a Celestial Wizard too, huh?" Lucy asked. But to her confusion, Yukino's excitement lessened, and her expression became more sullen.

"Yes." The blue-haired girl whispered.

"Is something wrong?" The older girl asked. Yukino said nothing for a bit before clenching her hands.

"I am a Celestial Spirit Wizard, but...I'm not very good."

"Why do you say that?"

"I only have three spirits, and I can't stand to see them hurt whenever we're fighting." The younger girl explained. "But I don't know any other magic, so I can't help them out. And everyone in my guild picks on me because of it, even calling me the weakest wizard in the guild."

Seeing the younger Celestial Wizard's sullen expression, Lucy couldn't help but remember some her own insecurities when she first joined Fairy Tail, some of which were still somewhat lingering. In a guild with the likes of Erza, Alyssa, Gray and Natsu, Lucy felt as though she was low on the Fairy Tail totem pole. But as she continued to work with Morningstar and manifested her Celestial Arm, those feelings of inadequacy gradually started to fade.

"Yukino, how old are you?" Lucy asked. The smaller wizard was confused by this question but answered anyway.

"Twelve. Why?"

"Because no matter what, you're still just a kid. You can't compare yourself to others or try to force yourself to be stronger at this point. If you want to be stronger, you have to reach it at your own pace." The older blonde explained. "And worrying about the safety of your spirits is nothing be ashamed of. It shows that you care about them, and don't see them as tools."

An idea then popped into Lucy's head before she then pulled out Meteore, showing it to Yukino, whose eyes glistened in amazement. "And if you continue to bond and fight with your spirits, you'll unlock your own Celestial Arm."

"Celestial...Arm?" Yukino asked.

"Think of it as an extension of yourself." The blonde explained. "One that will show itself in a moment of passion."

She then pulled out the three green keys she had taken from Gerome. Each of them had a different-shaped teeth and silhouettes shaped like their individual animals. One of the key teeth were shaped like a curled seahorse tail, the second was shaped connected hawk wings, and the final one was shaped like the horn of a unicorn.

"These are the keys for Capall Mara the Seahorse, Seabhac the Hawk, and Aonbheannach the Unicorn of the Green Zodiac." Lucy explained, having learned the names of the keys from Crux. She then handed the green keys to Yukino, who had a disbelieving look on her face and they were placed in her hands.

"You're...you're giving them to me?" Yukino asked, getting a nod in response.

"These three need a new partner. And you more than fit the bill."

"I-I...thank you!" The tiny girl exclaimed, bowing her head in gratitude. The older woman giggled at this before patting Yukino on the head.

"Take care of your spirits, Yukino." Lucy said before she stood back up and started to walk away. As she did, Yukino looked down on her three new keys. A smile came onto the light blue-haired girl's face before turning to see the retreating form of Lucy.

'She's so cool.' Yukino thought to herself as the older Celestial Wizard went on her way. And at that moment, the brown-eyed girl made a promise to herself. She would become a great Celestial Wizard, just like her idol. She wouldn't let her guildmates' taunting get to her anymore. And she would become friends with her new spirits, growing stronger so she could fight alongside them.

Lucy was also in the middle of contemplating as she walked towards her subsequent designation. Yukino reminded her of her younger self, in particular, when her mother first told her about Celestial Spirit magic. And she figured that the younger wizard would help out the three Green Spirits by forging a bond with a new wizard while Yukino would be getting new friends. Speaking of Celestial Spirits, Lucy pulled out her key ring. While most of the silver keys she took from Gerome were spirits she and Alexander already had, there was one silver key, in particular, that had gotten the blonde's attention. A key with a blue silhouette of a wolf's head and teeth in the shape of three claws.

Meanwhile, Zeke and Natsu were also wandering the streets of Orco, chatting as they did.

"The ability to control someone's wounded body parts, but only if you're directly above them." Natsu said. The two were currently playing a game where they would try to come up with the worst Magics ever.

"Okay, that is pretty terrible. But how about this?" Zeke replied before taking a swig of his soda. "A spell makes your opponent suffer any wound you inflict on yourself."

"That actually sound kinds of useful."

"But just think about it. You could stab your opponent by stabbing yourself. Sure, it sounds good on paper, but you'd still be stabbing yourself."

"Huh. Good point." The dragon-slayer replied before thinking another dumb power. "A spell that lets you move objects with your mind...but only in one direction."

"Meh. You can still move stuff with your mind." The archer stated.

"But you can only move them in one specific direction! That's so inconvenient!"

"I guess." Zeke said. "Oh, I got a good one. A spell that lets you create dinging sounds whenever you make gestures with your hands."

"...You win." Natsu grumbled before handing over 50 jewel to his brunette friend. But as the two continued to walk, the salmon-haired man noticed that they were passing a jewelry store. And the thing that drew his attention was the variety of rings on display.

"Natsu? Naaaatsssuuuu!" Zeke said before snapping his fingers in front of the pyro. "You still with me?"

"Yeah...I'm all right." Natsu said, not taking his eyes away from the store. Zeke followed his friend's line of sight and saw the store.

"Since when are you into jewelry?"

Natsu said nothing for a moment before looking back at his best friend. The expression on the dragon-slayer's face was something Zeke had rarely seen; one of contemplation and slight hesitation.

"Can I be real with you, Zeke?"

"Sure." The archer replied.

"...Everything's been so crazy lately. The stuff with the Holy Crusaders, us being turned to stone, Laxus trying to take over the guild, Hoshi turning out to be alive. And now we're going a mission for the freakin' magic council. It's been overwhelming."

Zeke couldn't help but agree with Natsu. In the past two months, it seemed like Morningstar had become a magnet for crazy happenings.

"Where are you going with this?"

"Well, I was other about all of that the other day, and I had an eph...what's the word that begins with E?"

"Epiphany?"

"Ya, that's it. I'd realized that life is unpredictable as hell. So no matter what insane thing happens to us next, I don't want to have any regrets." Natsu explained, his expression becoming more determined as he looked at the store. "I'm going to ask Alyssa to marry me."

At first, Zeke's eyes widened at surprise from this declaration. But then he started to chuckle, confusing Natsu.

"What's so funny?"

"Look at you, being all philosophical." The archer replied as he wrapped his arm around Natsu's shoulder. "Honestly, I'm surprised it's taken you this long to pop the question to Alyssa."

Hearing this brought a smile to Natsu's face.

"I'm gonna be the best man, right?"

"Obviously."

"Awesome! Now let's go find your gal a wedding ring." Zeke said as the two entered the jewelry store, getting the attention of the store owner. There was also someone else in the store, but more on them in a bit. "Excuse me, Ma'am. We'd like to see your finest wedding ring."

The female store owner looked at the two, seeing that the archer still had his arm around his buddy's shoulder.

"My my. You two make quite the handsome couple." She said with a light blush. Natsu and Zeke were confused about what she said. Then started to put it together. They had walked in together, with one of them touching the other, and they had just asked for a wedding ring.

"Nonononononononononononononono!" Zeke explained, quickly retracting his arm from Natsu while said dragon-slayer's face turned green. "My buddy needs the ring for his girlfriend."

"Sure he does." The woman said with a wink, the two mentally groaning at her not believing them. The owner then pulled out a display of beautiful rings with jewels of various colors. "So, is there anything, in particular, you're looking for?"

Natsu didn't answer and just started to look at the rings while Zeke decided to try and find a gift for Juvia. As you might've guessed, discerning the quality of jewelry was not exactly the dragon-slayer's forte. So, he figured he'd go with his gut and pick out the ring that he believed Alyssa would love. Eventually, his eyes settled on a silver ring with a square dark purple jewel embedded in the middle. He plucked it out of the box and started to inspect it.

"Ah. So you're to the drawn to amethyst." The store owner replied as Natsu looked at the ring. "A wise choice, especially for a wedding ring."

"Really? Why's that?" Natsu asked.

"Well you see, young man, the colors of jewels and minerals have different meanings behind them. The amethyst ring you've picked up promotes calm, balance and peace."

"Really? I thought these were just really shiny rocks." The salmon-haired wizard replied, earning a chuckle from the other patron in the store.

"Well, technically you're correct." The store owner replied with a kind smile. "So tell me, boy. Why exactly did you pick that ring out of the others?"

"Well...I guess it reminds me of my girlfriend's eyes." Natsu said as he started to think about Alyssa. While there was a lot, the dragon-slayer loved about the Speed Queen, one the things he found the most appealing was her eyes. How calm and loving they were whenever the two were alone together. No matter what life threw at him, Natsu always felt calm whenever he looked into her eyes. Now that he thought about, what the lady said about amethyst being a calming color matched perfectly with what Natsu felt around her. Out of everyone in his life, the dragon-slayer truly felt like Alyssa was the one he could truly be himself around. So with a smile on his face, Natsu made his decision.

"I'll take it!"

"Splendid!" The store owner said as she started to ring up the price on the register. "That'll be 173, 500 jewel."

The store fell silent for a brief second before Natsu spoke up again.

"Are you freakin' kidding me?!" The dragon-slayer shouted. "That's more than my friend's rent!"

"I'm sorry, sir, but amethyst isn't exactly a common mineral. They're an incredibly rare breed." The store owner explained.

Natsu grumbled for a moment before reaching into his backpack and pulling out a decently-sized sack of jewel. "Well, if it's for Alyssa, it's worth it."

But before the salmon-haired wizard could place the bag on the counter, the other patron in the store slammed a sack twice as big as Natsu's onto the counter.

"I'll take that ring for twice the cover price." The man stated. Natsu turned and took a good look at the guy trying to buy his ring. He had a physique that matched Natsu's but was taller that the dragon-slayer by at least two inches, spiky lime-green hair, tanned skin and dark brown eyes with purple-painted triangles under each eye. What stood out the most was his outfit, which consisted of a purple muscle shirt that exposed his six-pack abs, a short jacket of an even darker shape over the shirt, tight dark blue jeans, a set of dark purple loafers, and jewelry. Lots and lots of jewelry. From the five golden chains he wore around his neck, the bedazzled silver belt that kept his pants up, and the elegant rings he wore on each finger. But what really clenched Natsu's first impression of this man was a dark purple tattoo on his abs that said 'Hidalgo-Sized' with an arrow pointing towards his pants.

'This guy's a total tool.' The dragon-slayer thought to himself before saying out loud, "Look, wise guy, I'm buying this ring for my future fiance, so you can put your money away!"

"Oh please." The man (whose Natsu guessed was named Hidalgo based on the tattoo) said with an air of superiority. "A mongrel like you would only be wasting his money on such a rare gem."

"Who're you calling a mongrel?!" Natsu shouted as Hidalgo looked and saw the Fairy Tail mark on Natsu's shoulder.

"Ah, so that explains it." The taller man stated. "You're from Fairy Tail. No wonder you reek of vulgarity."

But before Natsu could retort in anger, Hidalgo just kept running his mouth. "I've heard that Fairy Tail is full of uncultured drunks and savages. And I can tell just looking at you that you're the latter."

"That's enough!" Zeke said, having heard the conversation and decided to butt in. "What the hell gives you the right to insult an entire guild and my buddy?"

"Simple." The lime-haired man said before aggressive pointing his finger at the two. "I am Hidalgo Zeppeli! I have more class in my pinky finger that you two probably have in your whole bodies! And a rare treasure such as this can only be truly appreciated by a man of my standing! Now, why don't go to the local tavern like the good little drunkards you are and piss…"

Hidalgo never got his finish his sentence as Natsu decked him across the face with a solid right cross, knocking him into a nearby display.

"Oh my god!" The store owner screamed in shock.

'Meh. He deserved it.' Zeke thought, thinking that if Natsu's hadn't decked him, he would've.

"You…" Hidalgo said in shock as he rubbed his bruised cheek. "You struck me."

"And I'll do worse if you keep talking shit like that." Natsu growled as he cracked his knuckles. The lime-haired man said nothing as he stood back and glared at the dragon-slayer.

"So be it. An animal can only understand violence." Hidalgo stated as he started to move his arms as he though he were beginning a dance. As he did so, Natsu could've sworn all of his accessories were starting to shine brighter. "Allow me to show you the blinding brilliance of a true gentleman!"

In response, Natsu ignited his fists on fire and got into his usual fighting stance. "Bring it on, ya pompous prick!"

"And that's our cue to leave." Zeke said as he started to usher the store owner out.

"B-But...my store."

"Don't worry. Fairy Tail will gladly cover all the damages." The archer said with a smile, while inside he was groaning at the prospect of explaining all of this to his father. "Let's just get you to safety."

And as the two left the store, Natsu and Hidalgo glared at each other. The lime-haired man made the first move, striking a pose as he pointed his right upward.

"Time to show you how a true man of class shines!  _Shine Magic: Blinding Radiance!"_

And in a second, the light reflected off Hidalgo's jewelry intensified a thousandfold, engulfing the store and his foe in a brilliant rainbow of colors.

"AHH! MY EYES!" Natsu screamed in agony, his irises unable to process all of those colors at that much intensity. "Gaahh, it's like seeing Makarov on spa day! Or Gray...pretty much all the time!"

But before Natsu had a chance to recover, he felt himself being kicked in the stomach with so much force that he was sent flying through the store window and onto the street.

'Great. Collateral damage already.' Zeke mentally groaned as Hidalgo walked out of the store and started to approach the temporarily blind Natsu.

"What will you do now, whelp?" The lime-haired adonis taunted as he ran his hand through his hair. "I've robbed you of one of your key senses. You won't be able to…"

" _Fire Dragon's Talon!"_ Natsu proclaimed, delivering a flaming kick that knocked his flamboyant foe into a nearby trashcan.

'WHAT?! How did he…' Hidalgo started to think until he recalled what Natsu's spell was called. 'Fire Dragon...damn it! He's a dragon-slayer!'

As he was thinking, the tall man was forced to evade a Roar spell from Natsu that completely incinerated the trashcan he was sitting in seconds ago. 'Even though I've blinded him, he can use his other enhanced senses to find me!'

And he was indeed right. For even though the only things Natsu could see at the moment were blurry and unfocused, his nose and ears were still working at peak efficiency. He could smell his opponent's overpriced cologne and could hear his gold chains rattle whenever his foe moved.

"Blind me all you want! I'm still gonna kick your ass!" Natsu shouted as he threw an Iron Fist towards Hidalgo, only for the man to spin to the left, avoiding that attack that destroyed part of an alley wall.

'Very well. Since blinding him didn't work, it looks I'll have to show my hand, so to speak.' Hidalgo thought before striking a pose, a golden aura of magic beginning to manifest around his body.

'What's he up to?' Zeke thought to himself as he continued to observe the fight.

" _Shine Forever, Golden Boy!"_ Hidalgo chanted, causing a figure to burst forth from his body. The figure was lanky in stature with golden armor for skin, a round head with lime-green jewel signs in place of its eyes with matching lips, and lime-green jewels on its chest, joints, hands, and feet. And while most of the crowd that gathered to watch the battle were stupefied at this, Zeke knew exactly what is was.

"Natsu, look out! He's got a Fighting Spirit!" The archer shouted. Natsu scowled at this and decided to unleash a Fire Dragon's Roar in Hidalgo's direction. That way, he could take out his Fighting Spirit before it had a chance to move. You see, while dragon-slayers can pick up the scents of living creatures, Fighting Spirits are the manifestation of their caster's magical energy. As such, they possess no smell of their own.

But as Natsu's large stream of fire launched towards his opponent, Hidalgo merely smirked. He gave a mental command to Golden Boy, and the spirit moved in front of its caster. It's stomach then expanded and created a large hole big enough for the fire to pass through harmlessly while Hidalgo moved to the side, evading the flames with a cocky smirk on his face.

After the spell had dissipated, Golden Boy reconstituted itself before flying at Natsu. The dragon-slayer attempted to throw a flaming punch where he believed the Fighting Spirit would be based on the faint sounds of movement it was making. But like before, Golden Boy's liquid metal body slithered away from the dragon-slayer's attack before reforming above him.

"Got you!  _Gold Rush!"_ Hidalgo chanted as Golden Boy's chest began to bubble. And with a yell, the liquid-metal Fighting Spirit fired a barrage of gold cannonballs that smashed into Natsu before the dragon-slayer had a chance to react.

'I hope the girls are having a better time than we are.' Zeke thought to himself as the battle continued.

Speaking of the girls, Alyssa and Hoshi were in the middle of shopping, the hat-wearing wizard, in particular, looking for a Gravity Staff at a decent price. Alyssa, on the other hand, …was squeeing as she hugged a large penguin plushie.

"It's so cute!" The amazonian woman proclaimed, confusing a few of the other patrons. Naturally, anyone who didn't know Alyssa was somewhat confused at the sight of a tall, muscular woman hugging a stuffed animal like an excited teenage girl. One of the patrons, in particular, found it amusing as she began to walk towards the distracted wizard.

"Well, I never pegged you to be the stuffed animals type." Alyssa heard someone say. The orange-haired wizard turned and saw a rather familiar face. A woman who was almost her equal regarding size and musculature, with short silver hair, blue eyes, black clothing, and an impressive silver hammer strapped onto her back.

"Claudia." The orange-haired woman said with her eyes narrowed. She quickly tossed the penguin plushie away and got into a fighting stance.

"Woah, woah, woah! Ease up, speedy." Claudia replied, holding her hands out in a show of peace, also showing a white bag from a local bookstore strapped on her wrist. "I'm not here to kick your ass."

"As if you could." Alyssa replied, ticking off the Hammer Wizard before she calmed down.

"Look, I've gone legit." Claudia explained as she lifted up the bottom of her black shirt, revealing a silver guild mark on the left side of her stomach. Said guild mark was in the shape of a being with a large nose pointing to the right.

"Wait, you joined up with Titan Nose?" Alyssa asked, getting a nod in response.

"In fact, my team and I were supposed to meet up with some guys from Fairy Tail for a big job."

The two thought about this for a moment before coming to the same realization and started laughing.

"Talk about a small world." The orange-haired amazon said in between giggles.

"I'll say." The silver-haired woman agreed. "So, do you know anything about our mission?"

"Afraid not. We're about as clueless as you."

"Just great." Claudia stated, irritated a tad. "So, how have you been?"

As the two amazonian women began to catch up, Happy was perusing the local fish market. The blue cat looked around before he laid eyes on a fish stand selling a rare fish known as the six-headed trout. From what the cat had heard of, each head had a different flavor to it. In his excitement, the cat ran towards the stand. But in his excitement, Happy ended up running into someone, the impact sending the two on their assess.

"Owie." Happy groaned before getting back up.

"Hey, watch where you're going, dumbass!" The blue cat looked, and his eyes widened when he saw who he bumped into. The person he ran into was not a person at all, but an anthropomorphic cat his size. He had yellow fur in place of blue, a black headband with a yellow Titan Nose symbol on it, a black coat with a white t-shirt underneath, and black pants with two small blades inside matching black scabbards. The yellow cat's eyes also widened in shock as he saw Happy.

"A-are you?"

"Holy crap, a talking cat!" Happy screamed in shock, causing the yellow cat to fall in shock.

"You're one to talk!" The yellow cat replied.

"Oh yeah. I"m Happy by the way." The blue cat said with a smile as he held his paw out. The yellow cat looked at it for a second before shaking paws with his fellow feline.

"I'm Jack."

"So...do you like fish?"

"Who doesn't?" Jack replied, making Happy smile. The blue feline felt that this was the start of a beautiful friendship.

_**Meanwhile…** _

'What the hell is up with this crazy broad?!' Alexander thought to himself as he continued to run away from the blonde woman who tried to confront him in the store. No matter what corners he cut around or how big of a crowd he ran into, the lady would keep on chasing him. "Leave me alone already!"

"Not until you return that key!" The athletic blonde yelled back.

Alexander growled and reached into his jacket, pulling out a Houzi's key. He quickly turned and skidded to a stop near a water fountain.

"You want a key, I'll give you a key!  _Open, Gate of the Monkey - Houzi!"_ With a wave and a flash, the bo staff-wielding monkey appeared...and was in the midst of eating a tick he had picked from his fur.

"Huh?" The blonde asked in confusion.

"Um, Houzi?"

"What? Can't a monkey eat his own ticks while contemplating the meaning of endless life and his never approaching mortality?"

"Is this for…"

"Don't interrupt my existential crisis!" The monkey spirit yelled before grabbing the woman by his tail and tossing her into the fountain. "So, how have you been, Captain?"

"Pretty good." Alexander said as he and his started to walk away. However, they were stopped in their tracks as they heard a strange noise. "What's that sound?"

"It sounds like a mongoose tongue-kissing a hippo." Houzi said before the two turned back around. The woman the monkey had knocked into the fountain was standing back up. The water from the fountain was flying into her mouth as she sucked it in at an alarming rate.

'Why does that seem familiar?' Alexander asked himself as he reached into his coat for his Celestial Arms.

" _Water Dragon's…"_ The woman started to chant as she swallowed the last of the fountain water.

"Oh, fu…" The one-eyed wizard began to curse as he realized what kind of wizard his pursuer was.

" _ROAR!"_ And faster than Alexander could pull his flintlock's trigger, Houzi and him were engulfed by a powerful torrent of water.

"Bathing! My one weakness!" The monkey spirit exclaimed as he and his master were tossed around as the two were continually pulled through the streets as part of the torrent until they smashed into a cabbage cart.

"My cabbages!" The cart owner yelled in despair as the soaked wizard and spirit got back up and saw the woman approaching them.

"One last chance. Return the key, or I'll drown you." The blonde wizard threatened her foe while cracking her fists. Alexander responded by shooting, causing her dodge. In this brief second, Alexander grabbed his cutlass and charged towards his female opponent, Houzi following suit. However, the blonde dragon-slayer proved to be pretty agile, evading the sword and bo staff swinging. She then conjured tail-shaped water tendrils around her hands.

" _Water Dragon's Wing Attack!"_ The woman exclaimed before swinging her water tendrils and knocking her two opponents away.

"That's it! No one spanks this monkey and gets away with it!" Houzi proclaimed as he quickly landed and smacked his staff on the street, creating a shockwave that knocked the woman back.

"Time to finish this." Alexander said as he started to pull out another key, just as the woman quickly recovered and saw her foe preparing his next spell, a blue magic circle appearing underneath him with his eyes closed.

" _Hu, please lend me your strength."_ The one-eyed pirate asked as a transparent image of the tiger spirit appeared next to him. The female dragon-slayer decided to prepare one of her spells too, bringing her hands together and creating a swirling whirlpool in between them.

" _The raging waters of the south and north! Drench my foes when you come forth!"_

Alexander then placed Hu's key in his cutlass' hidden slot, turning his key and setting the slot back in the blade, causing it to glow blue. And when the two wizards were finally ready, they unleashed their spells.

" _Final Wave!"_

" _Water Dragon's Raging Whirlpool!"_

And at the declarations of spells, a crescent wave of cosmic magic and a swirling column of water launched forward and collided. The clashing magical energies then collapsed in and caused a massive explosion of water and cosmic energy so huge that it could be seen all over town.

"What the f*&k was that?!" Zeke shouted in confusion as Natsu and Hidalgo stopped their fighting (Natsu having somehow gotten Golden Boy into a chokehold) to see the massive explosion.

"Damn it! What the hell has that idiot gotten herself into this time?" Hidalgo shouted, running in the direction of the explosion, causing Golden Boy to fade away.

"Hey! We're not done yet!" Natsu screamed in anger, chasing down his flamboyant enemy while his head was set ablaze with azure fire. Zeke followed behind him, mostly out of curiosity about what the hell caused the explosion.

And the three males were not the only ones running towards the site of the explosion. Alyssa, Claudia, and Hoshi (who had reconvened with her teammate and introduced to the former mercenary) had left the store and headed in the same direction. Lucy had also spotted the explosion and ran towards it (after mentally debating whether or not she should), as did Happy and Jack, who were in the midst of discussing the subtle differences in tastes between similar fish before seeing the explosion and flying in the same direction.

Soon enough, all of the running wizards arrived at the scene and saw that both Alexander and the female dragon-slayer were groaning in pain, with the one-eyed wizard using his cutlass to hold himself up while the woman was on her knee, barely holding herself up with her own power. Houzi had also been forced back to the Celestial World due to the massive backlash of power.

"Alex!" Lucy explained in concern as the rest of Team Morningstar ran towards the injured Celestial Wizard.

"Izumi!" Jack yelled out as Hidalgo, Claudia and him approached the female dragon-slayer.

"What the hell happened?" The Shine Wizard asked his comrade. Izumi just pointed to Alexander, who was being helped up by Alyssa and Zeke.

"That guy...stole...a key."

"You caused all of this for a freakin' key?!" Claudia shouted in disbelief.

"Couldn't...let him…" Izumi said, still dizzy from the massive explosion. Hidalgo then turned towards Natsu and glared at him.

"Looks like your friends are as barbaric as you are!"

"Are you serious?!" Zeke shouted back. "Your friend is injured, and all you care about is insulting us?!"

"She's injured because your friend is a petty thief!"

"Petty?" Alexander asked. "I'll have you know I've stolen from some of the wealthiest bastards in Fiore!"

"Not helping your case, dude." Natsu stated.

"Okay, what the hell is going on?!" Lucy asked, confused at why this lime-haired man she had never seen before was insulting them.

Hidalgo was about to spout some more insults until the group heard a loud whistling sound. The eleven wizards turned and saw a portly man. He had short combed black hair with pointed sideburns, pale skin, and red eyes behind a pair of circular glasses, with a blue Titan Nose mark on the back of his right hand. His outfit consisted of an elegant blue coat with a matching suit vest over a white shirt underneath it, dark blue dress pants, black shoes, and a dark blue tie. And while he was shorter than everyone else (aside from the two cats), he had an air of intimidation and power.

"That's enough of that." The man said with a look of disappointment at Hidalgo and Izumi.

"Seward...I…" Izumi started.

"Save it. You'll have time for explanations later." The man (now identified as Seward) stated before turning to face Team Morningstar. "I apologize on behalf of my friends for anything they might've done to upset you."

"Um...thanks." Zeke said, not sure what to make of this.

"Don't apologize to them!" Hidalgo shouted. "These miscreants are nothing but barbarians and thieves! The blue-haired one stole something, and the pink-haired one assaulted me for no good reason!"

"Bullshit! You kept insulting me and acting like a stuck up ass!" Natsu shouted in defense.

"And that earned me a punch?!"

"Well, well, well." The group turned and saw another man walk onto the scene. A certain blue-haired man with a unique tattoo running down the right side of his face. "Looks like everyone's here."

"Siegrain." Seward said with a bit of venom in his voice. "I assume you're the council representative we're supposed to meet."

"Right on the money, Seward." The Wizard Saint replied. "Now, while I'm sure some of you would be fine discussing mission details while standing in a soaked street, I think my hotel room would be a better place to discuss your next job."

"Who's this guy?" Lucy whispered to Zeke.

"That's Siegrain Fernandes. He's a member of the Magic Council and one of the Ten Wizard Saints." The archer whispered back.

"Really?! But he looks like he's our age!" The blonde Celestial Wizard quietly exclaimed as the group followed the tattooed man to the hotel suite he was staying at temporarily. The two teams took a seat on different couches, with Natsu and Hidalgo glaring at each other while Izumi was still giving Alexander the stink eye.

"So, I'm sure you're all curious as to what the Magic Council requires your assistance for." Siegrain said, standing in front of the two groups. "Tell me. How many of you have heard of the demon Oculus?"

While most of the assembled wizards were unfamiliar with the name, Zeke and Seward recognized it and started to give their two jewels worth.

"During the Forty Year War, before Zeref betrayed the Kingdom, he created a demon that could watch over all of Fiore and act as a vanguard." Seward exposited to everyone who didn't know. "According to legend, Oculus could absorb all manner of magical energy, converting it into mass and strength."

"And when Zeref turned traitor, he took Oculus with him to keep an eye his enemies. Also, it's believed that Oculus was destroyed during the final battle between Samuel and Zeref." Zeke chimed in.

"Unfortunately, that's not the case." Siegrain replied before pulling out a projector lacrima from his coat. He then proceeded to explain the situation to the gathered wizards. "Four weeks ago, the 23rd Exploratory Corps found a hidden chamber on the edge of the Northern Border. And when they attempted to investigate the mural inside the chamber, they were meet with…"

The lacrima then projected a footage of the Corpsmen being massacred by Oculus, the sight of which caused varying degrees of horror, shock, and nausea.

"After slaughtering all but one of the Corpsmen, Oculus blasted out of the temple until it crashed down somewhere else. And we've pinpointed its location and well...it's not exactly ideal."

"Define not ideal." Hoshi said.

"According to our seismic readings on the day Oculus reawakened, we've determined that it landed in the center of the Badlands."

And hearing that made the entire group widen their eyes in shock. You see, during the Forty Year War, one battle on the western border ended in disaster for both sides. A group of Diasian wizards pooled their magics to create creatures that they believed would turn the tide of the war; The Fang Worms. Unfortunately, there were two factors that the Diasians couldn't foresee. 1). The Fang Worms were extremely violent, even to their own creators. 2). They were extremely fertile. Within less than three years, the western desert plains had become a breeding ground for the Fang Worms. But thankfully, the terrible beasts preferred the dry arid climate of the desert and rarely left their mating grounds. As such, the Fiorian Government declared the Western Desert as a quarantine zone, effectively making it a lawless region of the kingdom. However, this also opened the door for various criminals to take advantage of this new lawless region, even finding ways to thrive even with the numerous Fang Worms. Over the centuries, the Western Desert became a haven for criminals, human traffickers, refugees and insane cannibals. Therefore, the desert came to be known as the Badlands.

"The Council believes that if Oculus is left alone, we could have another Deliora on our hands." Siegrain stated, referring to the demon's rampage ten years ago. "Therefore, we've requested the aid of the strongest teams from Fairy Tail and Titan Nose. Your mission is to traverse the Badlands, find Oculus, and kill it."

The assembled group looked at each other for a bit, concerned about this latest news.

"So let me get this straight." Zeke began to say. "You want us to travel across one of the most hostile crapholes on Earthland, one that's full of monsters, cannibals, and other terrible things to murder a demon that couldn't even be killed by Fiore's greatest hero."

"Essentially." The blue-haired councilman replied.

"Okay." The archer responded. "Just wanted to make that clear."

"I'll understand if some of you have reservations about going on this mission."

"To say the f*&king least." Claudia chimed in.

"So if any of you wish to back out of this mission, now's your chance."

The two groups began to whisper to amongst each other, debating on whether or not they should go on this mission. Eventually, the two teams came a decision.

"Morningstar accepts the mission!" Zeke proclaimed.

"Same for the Titan Five." Seward stated. Hearing this brought a smile to Siegrain's face. After going over some of the finer details of the mission, the two teams left to stock up on supplies for the mission, leaving Siegrain alone in his hotel suite.

" **You know, you could've just slaughtered all of them and be done with it."** His shadow spoke, a pair of red eyes appearing.

"Yes, but then I'd have to try and cover up twelve deaths in my hotel room. And I'd rather not get arrested for first-degree murder." The blue-haired man said before turning to face the sentient shadow. "How are things on your end?"

" **That old friend I told you about is on board. Now I'm on my way to negotiate with those Raven Tail chaps."**

"Good." Siegrain said, his smile becoming sinister. If everything went according to plan, not only would he be rid of a group of interlopers who kept interfering with his plans, he would also have gotten rid of a rival Wizard Saint and gained a powerful resource in Oculus.

Soon enough, the world would be reshaped by his will. And no one was going to stand in his way.

_To be continued…_


	9. Into the Badlands

_Chapter 9: Into the Badlands_

_**An undisclosed location…** _

A man was walking through the corridors of his guild hall. He was a rather tall with a muscular body, black hair, black eyes, and tanned skin. On his face was a unique-looking beard; a chin curtain, with several lines of facial hair around his mouth shooting upwards in an odd pattern. His outfit consisted of an ornate cloak of dark purple and blue along with a dark blue dress shirt and an ascot tied in a full Windsor knot.

The man entered his office. But as soon as he did, he could tell something was wrong. That there was an unfamiliar presence in his room. Specifically, someone was sitting in his chair, which was turned away from him.

"Whoever you are, you have five seconds to explain yourself before I eradicate you." The man said in a serious tone, a magical aura of dark purple beginning to flow out of his body.

" **Now, now, now, Ivan. There's no need for that."**  The person sitting in the chair stated before turning around and revealing themselves. He was a man who appeared to be in his early fifties with silver hair (with matching mutton chops), pale skin, and a black three-piece suit with a matching cane in his left hand and a top hat. But what stuck out the most was his eye; his iris' were bloody red, and his scleras were pure black, like the darkest shadows. " **After all, we're on the same side."**

"Then enlighten me. Who do you work for? More importantly, how the devil did you find my guildhall and enter without activating any of the defenses?" Ivan asked, not letting his guard down for even a second.

" **Oh, where are my manners?"** The man said before standing up, placing both of his hands on his cane. And with a tip of his top hat, he gave his name. " **My name is Silas. Although you may know me better by my moniker, the Shadowman. And I am here on behalf of Jellal, Master of the Tower."**

And hearing this made Ivan even warier. Not just from being in the presence of one of Fiore's most infamous monsters, but that said monster was working with the man in charge of the Tower. "I see. So, what is your business here?"

" **Straight to the point. I like that. You see, my brother Oculus has recently reawakened. And I would like nothing more than to make sure he's safe. However, the Magic Council has gotten wind of his awakening, and have sent two teams of ace wizards to capture and kill him."**

"And what does this have to do with me?"

A smirk made way onto Silas' face before answering, " **One of those teams is from Fairy Tail."**

Ivan's eyes widened in surprise before a smirk of his own appeared. "Go on."

_**And then…** _

"Where the hell are those ingrates?!" Hidalgo stated as he sat on a bench at the Orco Train Station alongside the rest of his team. Jellal had already arranged for a train to take the twelve of them to the western city of Bellandra. From there, they would travel by horseback into the Badlands. "It's bad enough that we're going have to work with them, but the least they could do is not make us wait for them!"

In irritation, Claudia chopped her flamboyant teammate in the head. "Ya, well you bitching every two seconds isn't going to make them come faster."

Seward, Jack, and Izumi just sighed at this. Since they had known Hidalgo for years, they had more or less become immune to his attitude. However, Claudia was still easily irritated by the Shine Wizard as the newest recruit to Titan Nose.

"Say, Claudia." Seward asked as he read his book, getting the Iron Hammer's attention.

"What up?" The silver-haired woman asked.

"Could you tell us more about Morningstar?" The bespectacled man asked. The tall woman looked up and started to ponder.

"Well, I don't know much about them aside from what I saw on Galuna." Claudia stated. She began rubbing her chin as she thought about her answers. "Let's see. Well, Pinky's not that smart, but he seems to have a knack for improvisation. Blondie seems to be a bit spoiled, but not in that way a lot of snooty rich bitches act. String Bean seems to be the brains of the group and knows some fancy archery magic. I'm pretty sure One Eye was a pirate. And I have no idea what's up with Scarface."

"What about Happy?" Jack asked.

"Who?"

"The cat!"

"Sorry for the wait!" The five turned and saw the seven Fairy Tail wizards walking towards the platform with their bags packed.

"About time." Hidalgo said with a glare, which earned Natsu's irritation.

"You got something to say, gold balls?" The salmon-haired dragon-slayer asked.

But before the two could begin bickering, Zeke stepped in between them and gave Natsu a disapproving look. He then turned his head towards the Titan Nose wizards.

"Well, since we're going to be working together, I think we should properly introduce ourselves." The brunette archer stated. "My name is Ezekiel Hudson. But everyone just calls me Zeke."

"I'm Alyssa Grunewald." The orange-haired woman said with a smile and a thumbs up.

"Natsu Dragneel." Natsu growled, still glaring at Hidalgo.

"I'm Lucy Heartfilia. A pleasure to meet you." Lucy said with a curtsy.

"The name's Happy, and I'm a cat!"

"Captain Alexander Marvell, at your service." The one-eyes Celestial wizard said, confusing the five Titan Nose wizards with the captain title.

"'Sup? I'm Hoshi Katagiri."

"Well, then. We should probably introduce ourselves." Seward said with a peculiar glint in his glasses.

"Do we have to  _that?"_ Claudia asked with a sigh.

"Yes." The black-haired man responded with absolute seriousness as he pulled out a lacrima. He fed some magical energy, and it began to play triumphant trumpet music. In an instant, the five members of the Titan Five moved closer together, much to the confusion of Team Morningstar.

"Unwavering Justice!" Izumi proclaimed as she spun, water spinning around her as she did. "Izumi Takayashi!"

"Blinding Radiance!" Hidalgo stated as he pushed his hair back, his jewelry shining as Golden Boy did the same. "Hidalgo Zeppeli!"

"Ferocious Tenacity!" Jack proclaimed as he pulled out a black knife and swung it in a reverse grip. "Jack T. Cat!"

"Resounding Force." Claudia said (with less enthusiasm than the others) as she twirled her hammer before resting it on her shoulders. "Claudia Storheim."

"Endless Ingenuity!" Seward proclaimed as he quickly flipped through the book in his hand. "Seward Voltaire!"

"We're the number one wizard team in all of Fiore!" The five stated as they pointed to the sky, their jackets billowing in the wind.

"We are…" Izumi began to say.

"THE TITAN FIVE!"

And as the five said that, a massive explosion appeared behind them. Team Morningstar's reaction to said explosion was confusion (Natsu, Alyssa, and Alexander), bafflement (Lucy, Zeke, and Hoshi) and amusement (Happy).

"Where did that explosion come from?" Zeke asked in a whisper.

_**And then…** _

The twelve wizards were on their way to Bellandra, enjoying the train ride there. Well, except for two of them.

"I wanna die." Izumi groaned as she rocked back and forth on her seat, curled up in a ball as she did so. Natsu groaned as well, taking his usual spot on Alyssa's lap as the orange-haired amazon stroked his hair.

"Fascinating." Seward said, taking notes as he observed the dragon-slayers.

"I know what you mean." Zeke said, sitting across from his Titan Nose contemporary. "And here I thought Natsu's motion sickness was just some weird medical condition he had."

"I think it's safe to say that severe motion sickness is a common ailment among dragon-slayers." The bespectacled wizard saint said as Izumi leaned onto Claudia's shoulder.

"If you vomit on me, I'm strapping you to the roof." The Iron Hammer threatened as Lucy and Hoshi shared a chuckle. However, this was interrupted by Hidalgo sitting in between them.

"Well, since we're going to be working together, we might as well get to each other better." The green-haired man said as he wrapped his arms around their shoulders and gave off a lady-killer smile.

"Not interested." The two ladies said as they pushed his arms away, making him feel like he just got stabbed twice in the ego.

"But why?"

"I'm already seeing one of my guildmates." Lucy stated.

"And I make it a policy not to date anyone who wears more makeup than me." Hoshi replied.

And the look of rejection on the Shine Wizard's was enough to make Happy and Jack started rolling on the floor laughing.

"He does have a point." Seward stated. "We really should get to know each other."

And so, the ten wizards (the dragon-slayers unable to respond because of their motion sickness) exchanged small talk. In particular, Morningstar and Claudia regaled the Iron Hammer's teammates of their encounter on Galuna Island. The silver-haired woman told the Fairy Tail wizards on how, after the Galuna Island battles, Lyon and the others joined up with Toby and Yuka's old guild, Lamia Scale. However, Claudia decided to forge her own path after spending so many years as a mercenary after Deliora destroyed her village. As such, she traveled around for a bit before accidentally coming across Hidalgo while he was on a solo job. After a series of hijinks (which involved Claudia tossing the Shine Wizard through a wall when he attempted to flirt with her), Hidalgo managed to convince her to join Titan Nose and his team.

Speaking of Hidalgo, he revealed that like Zeke, he came from a long line of adventurous wizards who specialized in Fighting Spirit Magic. He was a fifth generation Zeppilli, being the latest to join Titan Nose. He had mentioned that he had formed a team with Izumi and Jack (the three had known each other since their early teens) and Seward, his best friend and the leader of the Titan Five.

Jack spoke on Izumi's behalf, and Zeke and Alyssa were surprised at how similar Jack's backstory was to Happy. How Izumi found his egg as a child and hatched him. Eventually, the two joined up with Titan Nose when Izumi's family moved to Shaybala, the hometown of said guild. Zeke wanted to ask about the dragon that taught Izumi her Water Dragon-Slayer Magic, but Jack said that Izumi would be able to tell them more about Aquaria, the Water Dragon when she was feeling better.

That left Seward to exposit his backstory. He had come from a poor family living in the slums of Crocus, the capital city of Fiore. As a child, his intelligence was proven to be far beyond anyone his age by being able to cast a spell from a Magic Tome (which he had found in the garbage) at the age of eight. And considering that Tome Magic was regarded as one of the most complicated magics to cast, even for adult wizards, this got the attention of the Bureau of Magical Development, specifically their leader, Marcus Alberon. He was one of Master Alberon's two pupils, the other being Siegrain Fernandes. When the two turned fifteen, Alberon gave them the option to continue their training at the Bureau, or go out into the world and learn on their own. Siegrain opted to stay while Seward decided to go on his own. Eventually, he found himself in Shaybala and joined up with Titan Nose, sending the money he earned from jobs to his family.

He quickly rose through the ranks of Titan Nose, becoming an S-Class Wizard within a year. During that time, he had become friends with Hidalgo, Izumi, and Jack, regularly teaming up on missions. This was the cast until the day known as the Bureau's Fall. A group of Zeref Cultists attacked the Bureau, attempting to steal all of their research into lost and forbidden magic. Master Alberon called Seward back in an effort to save the Bureau and the researchers who had never experienced combat. Siegrain held the line until Seward, and his team managed to arrive. Unfortunately, while they were able to save the researchers and the research documents, but Master Alberon was killed, and the Bureau building was destroyed.

But despite these losses, the Magic Council recognized the valiant efforts of Alberon's two apprentices in defending the Bureau and granted them the titles of Wizard Saints (again, Lucy was flabbergasted that someone so close to her age was given such a prestigious title).

_**And then…** _

"Finally!" Natsu shouted as he landed on the station floor, the group finally getting off the train.

"Solid Ground." Izumi said gleefully as she pulled a pole, confusing several people passing by, including a mother telling her child not to look at the crazy people.

"I guess you have to deal with this all the time?" Hidalgo asked Zeke in embarrassment.

"Yup." The archer responded. After Natsu and Izumi had calmed down, the large group went to the town stable and rented out ten horses (Happy and Jack being small enough to ride with their respective partners). After stocking up on supplies, the twelve were assembled in front of the horses, Seward addressing them.

"I'm not going to lie to you guys. This mission will probably be the toughest challenge any of us have ever faced." The Tome Wizard stated. "Not only are we going to into a foreign and hostile land to destroy an incredibly powerful demon, but we might have to deal with the criminals and monsters that call the Badlands home. And there's a chance that some of us might not make it back."

The others said nothing, looking to each other. Lucy and Happy were, of course, nervous, Zeke, Hidalgo, Jack and Alexander were cautious, but Natsu, Alyssa, Izumi, and Claudia stepped forward, ready to go on despite the danger. And seeing their teammates stepping forward gave the more cautious members the boost in courage to step forward as well, making Seward smile.

"Alright then. Let's ride!"

And with that, the twelve mounted their horses and took off, ready to face whatever danger laid ahead.

_**Meanwhile, Thousands of Miles away…** _

A black portal made of shadows manifested in front of a cave in the Northern Woods. And eight people stepped through the portal, with Silas the Shadow Man leading the group. One of the men was the familiar face of Erigor the Reaper, although he had replaced with robes with a blue and gold coat over a pair of white pants and black boots.

One member of the group was dressed like a knight with a mask instead of a helmet. Their tall body was completely covered by armor (except for a large plume of wild dark purple hair) with a long cape bearing the crest of Raven Tail on the back of it. The mask was slightly triangular, with a square part in the chin's region and two pointed parts on the sides, in the region of the ears. As a characteristic feature, the mask had a trident-like plate in the forehead's region, forming a "W" pattern. It also had two opened ends next to the plate that allowed the wearer to see, as well two white strips on each side of the mask. The rest of the armor was composed by a metallic pectoral, separated to the waist's cingulum by a piece of dark cloth. The cingulum also had two pointed plates on each side of the wearer's body. For the legs, that were also separated from the cingulum by cloth, they used the traditional cuisse, with round poleyns and stylized greaves. Their arms were also covered by the dark cloth and ended into metallic bracelets attached to gauntlets, which had sharp pointed fingers. Their dark cape was attached to its side in the region of their neck, apparently by a circular fivel with dense blue fur delimiting it.

One of the men was a short, stocky, visibly hunched and yet quite well-built man with blond hair, which was kept slicked back, with a widow's peak and prominent sideburns. Oddly enough, his skin color was pale violet. He possessed a massive head, round black eyes, a flat nose and a distinctive black goatee on his massively bulbous chin, which split into two points. His face carried a wide smirk on his face, showing his clenched teeth. The odd man's torso and head were also quite large in comparison to his thinner arms and legs. Draped over his hunched back was a white cloth acting as a cape, with two large, red motifs reminiscent of stylized suns adorning its sides. His chest was wrapped in bandages, under which he seemed to wear a dark shirt with sleeves reaching down below his elbows, where they ended in large, bolted armbands. His outfit was completed by a pair of dark olive pants, held up by a light, bolted belt, and simple shoes.

Another member among them was a pale-skinned young woman of average height with long, dark red hair, which was worn in a pair of massive waist-length braids that were tied together behind her back. She had full lips and reddish wide open eyes, something which, together with her tilted head, her perpetually raised eyebrows, and her semi-opened mouth, gave her a somewhat deranged appearance. In addition, she seemed to have visible bags below her eyes, adding to her distinctive look. She also possessed an extremely voluptuous body, with very large breasts matched by similarly large hips, endowing her with a virtually perfect hourglass figure. Her left shoulder bore a scar in the shape of an " _X_ ," and her dark Raven Tail mark was located on the upper part of her right breast. Her shapely figure was hugged by an extremely revealing crimson dress secured by halter-neck straps, which left most of her upper body, namely her back, sides and a large portion of her cleavage almost reaching down to her navel (and, as a result, part of her guild mark) completely exposed. The dress reached down to her calves, with the skirt being flouncy, possessing a large slash in its front right part for her legs to move freely, and a lighter section, consisting of two elongated patches acting as a belt of sorts in correspondence to her waist, is apparently sewn to the dress. Her attire was completed by long gloves almost reaching up to her shoulders, matching her dress in color, each having a small cut on the upper outer edge. Her outfit was capped off with a pair of dark, high-heeled shoes.

Another one of the men was an extremely tall and massive figure with an outlandish appearance, sporting pale blue skin and round, beady, reflective and mildly protruding black eyes, which had no seeming sclera, being completely dark like those of a rodent, or a bird. He had very long, straight blue hair, which flows down to his shoulders, where it was gathered in a ponytail. The features of his face were just as distinctive, with it being elongated frontwards, culminating in a very long, protruding and vaguely hooked nose, under which his wide mouth, with thick pinkish lips, sat. He had a fairly long neck, and passing just above his nose are two white belts covered in round studs, with a larger section secured by buttons sitting on his nose's upper part. Most of his body was hidden away by a very large, poncho-like black cape, whose collar, reaching up to his face and obscuring his chin, was adorned with a white pattern consisting of several white circles linked together by a line passing below them. Below his neck, secured to him by straps, are three white bow ties, placed one below the other, and linked together by smaller straps. Sprouting from below such cape were four, limb-like appendages covered in dark and light stripes, somehow reminiscent of a bee's sting, with two of them being placed at each of his sides. His attire was completed by a high, large-brimmed top hat, circled by two bronze-colored stripes right above the brim and some inches below his top. There was also a little wooden puppet resting on his shoulder with large white eyes, a sinister grin, green leaves that made up its hair that was held by a yellow headband, and a black cape held up by a blue button.

The last man among the group was rather pale, slim and muscular with black hair and black eyes. He had thin lips which were coated in black lipstick, giving him a long, thin smile. His slanted eyes had snake-like pupils to them and also appeared to be covered in black eye-liner. His hair was messy and unkempt, sticking up around his head in many directions. His outfit consisted of a tight black skivvy which ended on his hands as a pair of fingerless gloves. On his wrists was a pair of bracelets that took the form of thin belts. His pants had a scaly pattern from mid-thigh to their hems, which cut off just below his knees. Under his pants, he wore a pair of black leggings, which were tucked into a pair of boots.

The last woman of the group was the most normal-looking among them, with mid-length square-shaped pale brown hair, dark skin, and blue eyes behind a pair of black square glasses. Her outfit consisted of a bedazzled black vest with a full-sleeve white buttoned-up shirt and a black bow tie around the collar. She wore black dress pants with matching shoes, and strapped to the left side of her belt was a holster holding a wooden pistol with gold metal lining.

"Geez, talk about the middle of nowhere." Erigor stated as he looked around the area. "So, Mr. Ominous, what're we doing here?"

" **An old accomplice of mine frequents these**   **woods."** The Shadowman stated as they approached the cave before he stopped them from advancing with his cane. " **You better wait outside."**

"Oh, come on. How dangerous can they be?" The violet-skinned man asked in disbelief.

" **Trust me, Nullpudding. The second you step in that cave, you'll become a cut-up carcass for the forest animals."**

"Ooooh, they sound dangerous." The crimson-haired woman said with a terrifying giggle.

"Keep it in your pants, Flare." The bespectacled woman stated as she rolled her eyes.

"She'd have to be wearing pants for that." The snake-eyed man said as looked down his teammate's curvy body.

"Shut up, Kurohebi." Flare said with a pout.

"Hey, everyone's thinking it." He replied before turning to the bizarre-looking man and the armored figure. "Obra, Alexei, you guys agree with me, right?"

The two said nothing in return, causing a sweatdrop to appear on the back of Kurohebi's head. "You know, it wouldn't kill you guys to say something once and awhile."

" **Enough."** Silas stated as he stepped inside the cave. And just as he said before, his body was ravaged by a series of sword-slashes that would have killed an ordinary man. But Silas was no ordinary man, as instead of blood, wisps of shadows emerged from his cuts which healed up rapidly. But as he did, an odd-colored sword was placed on the right side of his neck from behind him. " **Nice to see your skills haven't dulled in the last few centuries."**

The person holding a sword to the Shadowman's neck was a woman. A woman who once fought and defeated Zeke. A woman with snake-like blue eyes. The woman said nothing as she turned her head to study the freaked out Raven Tail wizards before addressing Silas.

"Take your cohorts and leave, before I kill them where they stand." The woman coldly said, pressing her curved blade deeper into Silas' next.

"Oh, you're so cocky." The bespectacled woman stated she reached for her belt holster and her eyes had a yellow glow for a nanosecond. "Wanna test your luck?"

" **Ms. Ridley, please embarrass yourself."** The Shadowman stated as he moved past the blade and walked farther into the cave, coming across a rotten corpse with a demonic black and yellow mask on its face, which he proceeded to remove from the dead body.

"PUT THAT DOWN!" The purple-haired woman shouted, quickly swinging her blade to cut off Silas' arms. But like before, his arms just healed up in a wisp of shadows, not even dropping the mask.

" **Come now, Ouro. You know that won't work on me."** The shadow demon stated as he rolled his eyes.

"What do you want, demon?" She asked while giving him a killer glare. But that just made the Shadowman smirk.

" **I require your assistance for a job."**

"Do you take me for a lowly mercenary? Why the hell should I aid you?"

" **Don't play dumb."** Silas stated, his smirk turning into a sadistic grin. " **No doubt you've about my brothers recently reawakening. Do you honestly think they were nothing but coincidences?"**

Ouro said nothing and the Shadowman continued.

" **Plans are in motion, Ouro. My father is going to return soon. And when he does, he's going to tie all loose ends."** He then held up the demonic mask up to emphasize his point. " **And that includes you."**

Silence fell upon the cave as the two stared each other down. After a few seconds of contemplation, Ouro sheathed her blade, still scowling at the Shadowman.

"What's the job?"

" **There we go!"** Silas replied with a smile before tossing the mask back to Ouro, who proceeded to catch it before turning to face the Raven Tail wizards (who were nervously watching the exchange). " **Ladies and Gentlemen, say hello to Lady Ouroboros; Fiore's most infamous killer!"**

Back with our heroes, the group had reached the end of Bellandran forest and saw the entrance of Badlands. And just as they had heard, there was nothing but endless sand and dirt with the occasional plateau and cactus.

"Okay everyone, we're about to breach the border!" Seward stated as the horse-riding group did just that. The group managed to travel into the desert for at least forty minutes uninterrupted until…

"Um, guys?" Lucy asked. "Is it just me, or is the ground shaking?"

The shaking continued to grow more violent until something massive burst from the ground, sending the wizards and their horses flying. Lucy landed on her ass and looked up at what burst through the ground, and naturally only had one thing to say.

"HOLY SHIT!"

The creature that burst through the ground was as tall as Lullaby's true form. Its skin seemed to be made of brown rock, and its maw contained ten rows of spinning house-sized teeth.

"Fang Worm!" Alyssa shouted, identifying the monster.

"Gee, ya think?" Claudia shouted.

"Heads up!" Zeke shouted as the Fang Worm screamed and its front blasted towards the group. They managed to leap out of the way as the creature's head smashed into the ground, causing a cloud of dust to fly out.

"Let's take it out before it resurfaces!" Hidalgo shouted as Golden Boy manifested behind him. " _Gold Rush!"_

" _Water Dragon's Roar!"_

" _Fire Dragon's Roar!"_

" _Requip: Fire!"_

" _Hammer Wave!"_

Hidalgo, Izumi, Natsu, Hoshi, and Claudia launched their respective spells at the still descending worm body, only for the spells to have no effect.

"What the hell?! The Fang Worm we fought before wasn't so freakin' huge!" Lucy cursed as she reclaimed her footing.

"Actually, I had a theory that the one we killed was just a baby." Zeke stated.

"Why didn't you say anything then?!"

"Because I'd knew you'd freak out!"

"Everyone, disperse as much as you can!" Seward shouted, getting everyone's attention. "It's going to resurface any second now!"

The group did just that, spreading themselves all over the desert and making themselves less of a target for the colossal worm. After another series of ground shaking, the worm burst out underneath Happy, sending the blue cat flying.

"Happy!" Natsu and Alyssa shouted in concern. The amazonian speed wizard burst ahead and caught the blue cat.

"Happy, quit screwing around and transform already!" Jack said as he pulled a pair of toy-sized bladed tonfas from his jacket.

"Transform? What're you talking about?!" Happy asked as Jack charged towards the still ascending Fang Worm. The yellow cat's body began to glow yellow. And when the light faded, it revealed that Jack had grown to the same size as Natsu with his clothes and bladed tonfas changed to fit his new size. He had also summoned his wings, which had a far more impressive wingspan than Happy's. The now human-sized cat blasted off into the air, and his tonfas began to glow with yellow light.

" _Sword Art: Cross Slash!"_ Jack shouted in a deeper voice as he swung his tonfas, creating a cross of yellow energy that launched ahead and impacted with the top of the Fang Worm. But the spells before, it had no effect on the monster's rock-like exterior.

" _Requip: Record of the Divine Winds!"_ Seward shouted, conjuring a teal magic circle that dropped a pale green book into his left hand. He started flipped through the pages at incredible speed, aided by his Wind Reader Glasses. The portly wizard saint then held his right pointer finger and middle out as the images of the tome's text began to circle them. " _Chapter 5: Wind Blades!"_

A series of sharp wind blades blasted from his hand towards the worm. While most of them did nothing, Seward noticed a burst of orange liquid burst out from the space between rock plating.

"Just as I expected." The black-haired saint whispered to himself. "There are spaces in between the Fang Worm's rock plating." He then turned to face Zeke, who had been attacking the beast from a distance with arrow spells but had no luck. "Zeke, you said your team encountered an infant Fang Worm before. How did you beat it?"

"We teleported a crapton of Lacrima bombs into its stomach and incinerated it from the inside." The archer responded, the Worm once more borrowing down as they talked. "But I don't think that's gonna work on an adult. The baby worm we fought was the size of a house, and that took all the bombs Happy could carry!"

"Actually, that plan might work." Seward replied, gesturing to Natsu, who had leap up into the air to launch his Fire Dragon's Wing Attack. Zeke looked at his salmon-haired friend and made the connection.

"Okay, but how do we get the worm to stop long enough? We needed a cow last time."

"We'll just have to aim for all of its weak points at the same time." Seward retorted. "Losing that much blood should slow the worm long enough for Natsu to burn it from the inside. The only problem is keeping the worm from borrowing back underground."

And just like that, an idea formed in Zeke's head and a smirk appeared on his face. "Alex!"

"Ya, Crack Shot?" The one-eyed man asked.

"Summon Shu and port us at least 50 feet away from the worm! I have a plan!" The archer stated.

"I love it when you say that!" Alex said with a smirk as he pulled out the red key. " _Open, Gate of the Rat - Shu!"_

And in a flash, the figure-sized spirit appeared on Alexander's shoulder. "What's up, Captain?"

"I need ya to 'port me and my comrades at least fifty feet away!" The rat spirit said with a salute before throwing her whiskers at the twelve wizards and in the far distance, teleporting them away from the Fang Worm in an instant.

"What the devil?!" Hidalgo shouted in confusion.

"Listen up!" Seward stated, getting everyone's attention. "Zeke and I have a plan to kill the Fang Worm."

"Alright. What is it?" Claudia asked.

"Natsu, remember how we beat the baby worm?" Zeke asked, getting a nod from his best friend. "Well, we're replacing the bombs with you this time."

Natsu was confused for a second before his battle-hungry smirk appeared on his face. "Awesome!"

"Alyssa?"

"Ya?"

"Remember when we took those Mole Creatures back then?" The archer asked, referring to a job they took three years ago. The amazonian woman nodded, and Zeke said, "You're gonna do the same thing you did then, but on a bigger scale."

"Okay, whatever you guys are planning, you should do it now!" Hoshi exclaimed. "I think our big friend just noticed us!"

And indeed, the Fang Worm had noticed its prey had vanished and turned itself towards them.

"Alright! Time to get serious!" Alyssa declared as she adjusted her gloves. She then got into a starting sprinting position and started building up magical energy.

"There are spaces in between the Worm's plating." Seward explained to the others. "As soon as Alyssa gets it above ground, I want you all to aim for spaces."

"Wait, how is she…" Izumi started to ask.

" _Speed Queen: Overclock!"_  Alyssa shouted, powering up and bursting ahead, creating a sonic boom that pushed everyone back. The amazonian woman then started to run in a circle that covered a forty-foot radius. She continued to run laps until wind began to gather in between the radius.

" _SPEED QUEEN…"_ Alyssa started to chant as a cyclone of wind and sand began to form.

"Get ready!" Seward stated as he began rapidly flipping through the pages of his magic tome again.

" _Shine Forever, Golden Boy!"_ Hidalgo chanted, once more manifesting his Fighting Spirit.

" _Open, Gate of the Archer - Sagittarius!"_ Lucy exclaimed, summoning the odd-looking horse spirit.

"Howdy ho, Ms. Lucy!" The archer spirit said with a salute.

" _Requip: Thunder!"_ Hoshi chanted and swapped her Fire Staff for a yellow staff that had a purple orb on top. Alexander and Lucy began to ready their own spells, asking Virgo and Houzi to lend them their power. Izumi quickly gulped down her own personal gallon of water and joined Jack and Claudia in charging up their own spells. Natsu brought forth his Azure Flames and began to charge up too.

And as all this was going on, Alyssa's cyclone was growing larger and larger, the speed and force of the wind increasing with each passing second.

" _COLOSSAL CYCLONE!"_

And as soon as the cyclone was large and powerful enough, the Fang Worm began to slowly rise into the air, flailing in anger as it did. Exposing its weak points as it did so.

"Happy!" Natsu shouted.

"Aye, sir!" The blue cat replied before summoning his wings and grabbing his father-figure.

"NOW!" Zeke shouted before unleashing a spell. " _Arch Shot: Arrow Rain!"_

" _Chapter 5: Wind Blades!"_ Seward chanted, once more unleashing a series of shape winds.

" _Hammer Wave!"_  Claudia shouted as she swung her hammer in an arc, creating a wave of energy.

" _Meteor Blitz!"_ Lucy exclaimed, sending the glowing fragments of Meteore forward with Sagittarius launching a massive barrage of arrows as well.

" _Gold Daggers!"_ Hidalgo shouted and posed, and instead unleashed as series of gold cannonballs, Golden Boy fired a seemingly endless barrage of gold throwing daggers.

" _Final Wave!"_ Alexander yelled out before pulling the trigger of his flintlock and firing a giant bullet of magical energy.

" _Water Dragon's Raging Whirlpool!"_ Izumi exclaimed, unleashing a column of spiraling water from her hands.

" _Thunderbolt!"_ Hoshi chanted, firing a stream of lighting from her staff.

" _Sword Art: Cross Slash!"_ Jack shouted, once more unleashing the cross-shaped spell.

Alyssa skidded to a halt, dissipating the cyclone as the Fang Worm was ten feet in the air. And as soon as that happened, the Worm's weak spots were struck by a multitude of magic spells, causing it to howl in pain and orange blood to gush out from it. The worm fell onto the ground with a massive thud, stunned in pain as Happy flew him and Natsu up above its mouth. The blue cat dropped his friend into the creature's mouth as the blue fire continued to flow around Natsu.

" _FIRE DRAGON'S…"_ The salmon-haired dragon-slayer started to chant as the fire around him began to intensify. " _SUPERNOVA!"_

A massive pillar of azure fire blasted out of Natsu, incinerating the Fang Worm's organs until it shot out of the creature's mouth. The flames soon died out, and the Fang Worm fell over, finally dead from the internal incineration. Natsu leaped out of the Worm's mouth, landing on his feet with his body still smoking from unleashing one of his most powerful spells. He then turned in the same direction as his fellow wizards and gave a thumbs up.

"That was awesome!" Izumi shouted as she, Claudia and Jack shared a double hi-five. Lucy, Zeke, and Seward gave their own sighs of relief while Hoshi twirled her staff as part of her own little victory dance.

"A dazzling victory for a dazzling man." Hidalgo stated as he moved his hands through his hair, Golden Boy mimicking the motion.

"Whatever floats our boat." Alexander said with a sweatdrop.

"Well, we better get back on the horses and…" Zeke started to say until he realized that the horses were nowhere to be seen. "Where are the horses?"

"I found two of them!" Natsu said. "But they're kind of...smushed."

Alexander reached into his coat and pulled out a tiny personal telescope. He then looked around and saw that several of the horse were running away in separate directions. "I guess the big beastie must've spooked them."

"Honestly, I don't blame them." Lucy said as she sat down trying to get her heart to calm down.

"Looks like we're walking the rest of the way." Seward said as he began to walk in the direction they were headed before.

"You're kidding, right?" Hidalgo asked, only to be ignored by the rest of the wizards as they started to follow the portly wizard saint.

"Can someone help me up? I'm still kind of woozy." Alyssa asked, causing the Shine/Fighting Spirit Wizard to palm his face.

"I'm surrounded by crazy people."

However, the green-haired was unaware of the true craziness that hid in the Badlands. For inside of a cavern, there was a pool of Fang Worm blood reflecting sunlight. All of a sudden, a man burst forth from underneath the orange liquid. He was a towering behemoth of a man with scars across many of his imposing muscles. He had a mane of dark spiked orange hair that was currently soaked downward. He opened his orange eyes and snarled, revealing his razor-sharp teeth.

"I sense it, Great One." He said to himself. "One of our brothers has been taken from this world."

He began to walk towards the bed of the blood pool, the orange liquid dripping off of him as he did.

"Oh yes, they will suffer for this."

As he said this, he clenched his fists and closed his eyes. He then took in a large breath of air, and his body began to glow with magic energy. But even more curious was the effect it was having on the worm blood, which was now full of ripples coming from the man. The man opened his eyes once more and looked up at the sky.

"I WILL SHOW THEM WHAT IT MEANS TO EXIST TRULY! THEY WILL KNOW OUR WRAITH! SO SAYS YAZA, KING OF THE WORM RIDERS!"

_To be continued…_


	10. Tale of the One-Eyed Pirate

_Chapter 10: The Tale of the One-Eyed Pirate_

Night had fallen over the Badlands, and the twelve wizards had already set up camp. Natsu had set up a fire to keep them warm, and the group was in the midst of eating their dinner.

"D-Deserts make no sense!" Happy shouted, wrapping himself in a blanket as he shivered. "They're blazing hot during the day and cold as Gray during the night! Why?!"

"Well, you see…" Seward began to speak.

"Don't bother trying to explain it." Zeke chimed in as he ate one of the boxed dinners Juvia had prepared for him before he left. "Science goes right over Happy's head."

"Hey!" The blue cat shouted.

"You know it's true."

Happy just pouted before going back to eating his sushi. As this was going on, Seward started to look at the map of the Badlands that Siegrain had supplied them with.

"Well, we've made some progress. By my estimations, we've covered at least 128 feet of ground today."

"Phew, that's a relief." Lucy said. "So does that mean…"

"The Badlands covers over 10,000 feet of land. And that's being generous." Zeke said, instantly bringing down Lucy's (and pretty much everybody's) mood.

"Whelp, at least we're gonna have one hell of a story to tell our guildmates." Izumi proclaimed, trying to cheer everyone up. "After all, how many people get to say they fought a fully-grown Fang Worm and lived?"

"You got a point there." Claudia replied before clinking her drink against Izumi's. And hearing the Water Dragon-Slayer talk made Natsu remember something he had meant to ask her.

"Hey, Azula…"

"It's Izumi." The blond woman corrected the male dragon-slayer.

"Right, sorry." Natsu quickly apologized before continuing. "I just wanted to ask you about the dragon who raised you."

"Raised me?" Izumi asked, slightly confused by that statement. "I wouldn't say raised. Aquaria was more like a family friend."

"Huh. Odd." Lucy stated. "Most of the dragon-slayer's we've met were adopted by their dragons."

And no seemed to notice Alexander getting a strange look in his eyes at the mention of that.

"So how did your family become friends with a dragon?" Alyssa asked.

"Well, it was sort by accident. You see, my father's a traveling doctor and when I was little, me and my mom used to join him whenever he would head out somewhere. We were on our way back home when we came across an injured woman bleeding on the road." Izumi began to explain. "My dad believed that you should always help those in need, even if they're total strangers. So he and my mom rushed to help the woman. And we could tell right away that she wasn't normal."

"How so?" Zeke asked.

"Well for one, her blood was dark blue. Her teeth were sharper than a normal human's, and her pupils were slit." The Water Dragon-Slayer explained, which surprised Natsu. "Anyway, she had a cut across her back that my father tried to treat, but she stopped him and told us to take her to a nearby lake. I guess that since they were unfamiliar with the woman's anatomy, my parents decided to listen to her and we brought to a lake. And we did, she submerged herself in the water and transformed into her dragon form. She said, 'Thank you, humans. I am Aquaria, the Water Dragon. And you have my eternal gratitude.'"

"Cool." Happy commented as Izumi continued her story, a smile on her face as she recalled these happy memories.

"From then on, Aquaria was pretty much a family friend. She decided to make that lake her home, which meant we could visit her whenever we wanted. And whenever we did, she would tell us about Dragon culture and the adventures she had had over the years. One day, she said that she could sense potential within me and started training me in the Dragon-Slayer magic. It was great."

However, the blond woman's smile turned sad as she recalled the next part of the story. "But then, about ten years ago, my family went to visit her, but she wasn't in the lake. We tried to see if she was somewhere in the forest, but we found nothing. After months of looking, my parents gave up looking for her, fearing that she either grew bored of us or worse, that she had…"

Izumi couldn't bring herself to say the last part, but everyone pretty much knew what she was implying.

"Izumi, what month and what day did Aquaria disaster?" Natsu asked.

"September 7th. Why?" She replied, which made the salmon-haired man's eyes widen.

"No way! You too?!" He shouted.

"What're you talking about?" Hidalgo asked.

"Igneel the Fire Dragon and Metalicana the Iron Dragon disappeared on the exact same day, month, and year as her!" Natsu stated, relaying the information he had gathered from his conversations with Gajeel, which in turn shocked the Water Dragon-Slayer and her team.

"You gotta be f*&king kidding me!" Claudia shouted.

"Three dragons disappearing at the same time? No conceivable way that's a coincidence." Seward reasoned.

"Make that four." Alexander stated, getting everyone's attention. "Grandine, the Sky Dragon, went missing around the same time."

The one-eyed man took a swig of his drink before realizing that everyone was staring at him. "What?"

"How do you know when the Sky Dragon went missing?" Lucy asked.

"Well, she was mine and Wendy's caretaker for four years." The blue-haired wizard replied, which only served to baffle his teammates and confuse the Titan Five. "What? Have I not mentioned that?"

"No, you f*(king haven't!" Zeke shouted in exasperation before Natsu rushed to Alexander and began shaking him.

"YOU KNEW A DRAGON AND NEVER TOLD US?! WAIT A MINUTE, ARE YOU SECRETLY A DRAGON-SLAYER?!" The salmon-haired wizard had shouted before Alyssa pulled him away from the now dizzy celestial wizard.

"Did you know about this?" Hoshi whispered to Zeke, who just shook his head in response.

"No, I ain't no dragon-slayer." The former pirate replied as he reconstituted himself.

"How come you never told us? And don't you dare say it's because no one ever asked!" Alyssa said.

"To be fair, no one did. Besides…" Alexander replied before looking down at his canteen, and his face became more sullen. "...it's not a time I like to recall."

Natsu, Alyssa, Zeke, Happy and Lucy then remembered what Alexander had told them when they first met. About how his younger sister was dead and how he was planning to resurrect her by collecting all twelve of the red Celestial Keys.

"Alex, you don't…"

"No, you guys are my mates." Alexander stated. "I might as well tell ya and get it over with."

_**14 years ago…** _

_I guess come from humble enough beginnings. My old man was a local fisherman, and my ma was a friendly barmaid. And was pretty much your average kid. I went to school, occasionally got into fights with the other boys, all that. We lived in a small town that you probably even find on the map unless you looked hard enough. Life was pretty good...for awhile._

_It was a few months after I had turned eleven and ma had given birth to Wendy. I was in my room, finishing up some of my schoolwork when Dad burst into my room with Wendy all bundled up in his arms. Now, you have to understand. My old man was as tough as they come. And yet, he was terrified out of his wits, screaming for me to take Wendy and get out of the village._

_Naturally, I was scared out of my mind and did just that, running out the back with my baby sister in my arms. But that's when...the noises started up. People screaming. Metal cutting into flesh. The sound of liquids hitting the ground. But I didn't look back. I just kept running until I reach the woods so that Wendy and I could be safe._

_And I keep on running until the sun began to rise and my legs began to give out from exhaustion. Eventually, I fell on my back, and I heard the sound of massive wings flapping as I did._

_When I woke up, I found myself in an unfamiliar cave. I saw the exit and headed for straight for it. And as I exited the cave, a saw a truly magnificent sight; a pure white dragon with blue eyes was above Wendy, letting my sister pet her nose as she giggled. Now you'd think the sight of a massive beast looming over my baby sister would be terrifying, but the way she looked at my sister wasn't that of a beast ready to devour its prey, but with kindness similar to a mother._

_She told me, "I am the Sky Dragon, Grandine. I found you and this little one unconscious in the woods. If I had left you alone, you would've surely have been eaten by a predator. So I brought you to this cave to keep you safe."_

_After properly introducing myself and Wendy, I asked about our village. And I took tell just from Grandine's sullen eyes that it wasn't anything good. She said a group of marauders had decimated the village, and that as far as she could tell, Wendy and I were the only survivors._

_After hearing that, I spent the next few days just sitting in the cave, crying my eyes out. What more could I do? My parents. My friends. Everyone I knew was dead. And in between my sobbing, I asked myself this; why was I the one who survived? But then, I was brought out of it when I heard Wendy yawn, tired from playing with Grandine all day. And at that moment, I got my answer._

_Grandine adopted the two of us. It was with her that Wendy took her first steps and said her first words. The big softie even stated that Wendy had the gift of magic within. So when Wendy turned three, Grandine started to teach her Sky Dragon-Slayer magic so that she could defend herself. I didn't have the same potential Wendy had, but Grandine began to teach me how to survive in the wilderness. So ya, everything was seemingly fine in my life again._

_But I guess I must've done something foul in a past life because, during my fourth year with Grandine, I was woken up when I heard Wendy crying. I asked her what was wrong, and she said that she couldn't find Grandine anywhere. I spent the next two weeks looking around the forest, praying to whoever would listen that I would find her. But as the third week rolled around, I started to realize that Wendy and I had been abandoned._

_For the next month, I tried to carry one, raising Wendy in the cave as Grandine had done before. But no matter what I did, the poor girl never stopped crying. The cave had too many memories. And in my 'infinite' wisdom, I decided that we needed to leave the cave and go somewhere else._

_Now keep in mind, I was fifteen at the time, and I was going through a whole gambit of emotions. I didn't have a plan; I just wanted the world to give me a break. Eventually, the two of us found ourselves on the shore. And for the first time since Grandine had left, the breath-takin' sight of the ocean brought a smile to Wendy's face and gave me the faintest hint of hope._

_After two weeks, Wendy and I managed to build a raft out of nearby trees. We didn't know how far it would take us, but that didn't matter to us. At dawn, we set out to the sea, ready to face anything that came our way. But during the third day at sea, I learned one of the harshest lessons that any sailor worth his weight has to know; the ocean can look beautiful one moment, and then turn violent the next._

_A hurricane had swept over the sea, rocking our little raft for all that it was worth. The two of us desperately tried to keep the raft together, but in the end, there was nothing we could've done. A massive tidal wave split the damn thing in two, separating me from Wendy. I still remember Wendy crying out my name as she was swept in by the tides. I tried to use whatever remained of the raft to keep myself afloat and swim to her, but by the time the third tidal wave hit me, I was knocked out._

_The next time I woke up, I was in an unfamiliar cabin with a large bearded man looking over me. As it turns out, the man, Captain Drake, and his crew found me adrift in the ocean and took me onboard their ship, the Jabberwock. Naturally, I asked if they had seen my little sister. And I remember his words to this day._

" _Sonny, it was a miracle that you survived that godawful storm. A wee lass like her...she's probably sitting at the bottom of the sea by now."_

_And for the third time in my life, I had suffered the loss of a loved one. I honestly felt broken inside. For the next few weeks, the crew of the Jabberwock provided me with food, but there were some days where I just felt like walking myself off the plank. Then one day, as I was sorting through some of the loot from the Captain's latest bounty, my eyes laid upon a peculiar red key. As I gazed at it, I felt compelled to reach out and grab it._

_When I did, I was blinded by a brilliant flash of light. And when I could see again, I saw the man I would come to know as Gongji standing above me. He asked if I was his new master, and naturally, I was confused as all hell by that question._

_Gongji then explained what he deal was with him being a Celestial Spirit summoned by the Red Key, how there were eleven other red spirits, and how me being able to summon him showed my potential to use Celestial Magic. At first, I didn't know if I wanted to forge a contract or not. I was still grieving after all. However, Gongji didn't seem to mind me just wanting to talk with him. And we did just that, talking about our lives and our different worlds._

_Eventually, I told him about the storm and how Wendy was lost. And I guess in a moment of empathy, he told me about the Miracle; one wish granted by the Celestial King and given to one who has collected all the keys in a set. He said that the Miracle could be used to grant virtually any desire, even bringing someone back to life. And as soon I heard that I realized what my new purpose was, and the void I within me finally started to fade._

_I swore that I would collect all of the Red Celestial Keys, and use my one Miracle to bring Wendy back from the dead, no matter how long it takes._

_**Back to the present…** _

"And so, I began my journey, rising through the ranks of the Star Liberators until Captain Drake retired appointed me as the new Captain. And in past ten years, I've collected five of the red keys, lost my eye while fighting a shark, unlocked my Celestial Arms, and joined up with you guys at Fairy Tail." Alexander said before gazing at the fire. "So ya, that's my life for ya."

He then took another swig of his drink and took a glance at his comrades, whose faces had a mixture of shock, pity, and sadness.

"Dude." Zeke whispered, feeling sorrowful for the life his friend had lived.

"That's so sad!" Lucy cried out, hugging Happy as she did.

"Aye." The blue cat cried out. Natsu, Alyssa, and Hoshi said nothing, relating to the one-eyed man since they too were aware how personal tragedies can weigh on someone. The Titan Five said nothing, feeling a bit awkward that someone they barely knew shared such intimate details about their lives. This sentiment was shared by Alexander himself, who was now feeling the need to lighten the mood after bringing it down.

"Oh, right." The blue-haired Celestial Wizard stated before pulling a key out of his coat. "In all of the excitement and prep time in the last few days, I haven't gotten the chance to make a contract with this guy."

Izumi was about to chastise him for not returning the stolen key, but decided to be quiet, now having a new understanding of the former pirate while Seward and Zeke each pulled out their notepads. Alexander stood up and closed his eyes as he held the key out.

" _I call upon thee in the world of the Celestial Spirits. I beckon you to my side at once. Pass through the gate!"_ He chanted as the magic seal appeared underneath him. " _Open, Gate of the Red Dragon - Long!"_

'Dragon?!' Natsu thought in excitement as the aforementioned being emerged from the gate. But to his disappointment, what came through the gate wasn't a dragon, but a woman. She had red hair that flowed to the middle of her back, with golden branch-like horns on her head like a crown. Her outfit was an elegant red and gold dress befitting a queen that hid most of her body with the exception of her bountiful breasts. She also wore matching sandals and held a red fan in her left hand. She opened her eyes, revealing their golden color before opening her fan and raising it in front of herself.

"Salutations. I am Long, Queen of the Red Zodiac. It is a pleasure to serve at your side." She proclaimed...to Seward instead of Alex, confusing everybody.

"What? Are you talking to me?" The portly man asked.

"But of course." The dragon spirit replied with a coy smile. "I can tell with one glance that you are a man of high standard and class."

"Oh, why thank you." Seward said, flattered by the praise. "But I'm not the one to summoned you."

"Oh, my mistake." The dragon woman stated before looking around at the group, silently judging them before laying her eyes on Alexander holding her key. She looked over the blue-haired before suddenly bursting out into laughter.

"What the hell's so damn funny?" Alexander asked, quickly becoming irritated by the spirit.

"A one-eyed mongrel thinks himself worthy to be my wizard!" Long stated before continuing to laugh.

"Who the hell are you callin' a mongrel?!" The blue-haired man shouted, now thoroughly pissed off.

"Figures you're hard of hearing as well." The red-haired woman replied.

"Listen here, lady! I summoned ya, so now you gotta form a contract with me!" Alexander shouted, causing Long's expression to change from amused to pissed off.

"You watch your tongue, boy! I am the Dragon Queen! You should be grateful to be in my grand presence."

'Geez, she's like Aquarius.' Lucy thought to herself before remembering something.

"Your 'grand presence', huh? Is that why your key on sale in some rinky dink magic shop?" Alexander retorted, causing the queen to gasp in shock.

"I must remember to incinerate my last wizard." She whispered to herself. And as everyone was watching this, no one noticed Lucy pulled out a silver key.

"Lame!" Natsu shouted, getting everyone's attention. "I thought you were summoning a real dragon, Alex. Not some cranky old lady."

"Who are you calling old, you pink-haired plebeian?!"

"I mean seriously, I bet she can't even breathe fire like Igneel could." The salmon-haired wizard complained, not noticing Long's expression change once more.

"Aquaria couldn't breathe fire either." Izumi pointed out. Suddenly, Long got in close to Natsu invading his personal space.

"Y-you know my darling, Igneel?!" The dragon spirit asked with a blush on her face.

'DARLING?!' Everyone shouted in their head.

"Um, ya. I'm his adopted son." Natsu stated. In response, Long squealed like a school girl, holding her cheeks with her hands as she swooned. "You know him?"

"Of course I do!" Long stated in bliss. "Igneel is my one true love! His inner fire burns brighter than even my own!" Her face then took on a slightly perverted look. "Not to mention that he's an exceptional mate!"

'Gross!' Natsu had thought in his mind before Long looked down at him again.

"You must take me to my darling at once!"

"Oh...um, that's gonna be a bit tricky." Natsu started to explain. "You see…"

"What Natsu's trying to say is that we can't take you see Igneel at the moment." Alexander said, cutting into their conversation. "You see, my friends and I are currently on a mission to slay the dreaded demon Oculus. I summoned you because I figured we would need the help of the most powerful and beautiful spirit in all of the Celestial World."

Long gained a smug smile on her face before waving her fan in front of herself and replying, "Of course you would. My power is well-regarded amongst my fellow spirits."

'Talk about self-absorbed.' Alyssa and Hoshi thought to themselves.

"So how about this; you help us out, and we'll take ya to see Igneel afterward. Savy?" Alexander asked with his hand extended out. Long thought it over for a second before shaking hands with the one-eyed man.

"You have a deal...um…"

"Alexander."

"Alexander."

"Should we tell her?" Alyssa whispered to Natsu and Happy.

"Nah." The two replied as Alexander and Long began to iron out the details of their contract. But as this was going no one noticed until a magic circle appeared under Lucy that the blonde woman was performing her own summoning ritual.

" _Open, Gate of the Wolf - Lupus!"_ She chanted, summoning a spirit through the gate.

The spirit that appeared was...small in stature. About the size of an average twelve-year-old girl. She looked like one two, the only difference being her silver hair and wolf ears on top of them. She had blue eyes and an outfit that consisted of a blue zipped-up coat (that seemed to be one size too big for her), matching fingerless gloves, black shorts (that showed her silver tail coming out of the back), and bandages covering her feet. The wolf spirit looked up at Lucy and tilted her head.

"Hiya! Are you my new master?"

"I am. My name's Lucy." The blonde celestial wizard said politely as she held her hand out. The wolf girl saw this and then enthusiastically shook her new master's hand with both of hers.

"Nice to meet ya! My name is Lupus! Let's kick all kinds of butt together." She said with a radiant smile that made the blonde girl giggle. However, she then felt a quick blast of wind and looked up to an...unusual sight.

"Aw! You're so tiny and cute!" Alyssa exclaimed as she hugged the confused Lupus.

"What?! Who are you?!" Lupus cried out, freaked out by a random woman hugging her and said hug being rather strong. Not helping was that she didn't get an answer as Alyssa started to rub her cheek against Lupus'.

"Your comrades are...peculiar." Long stated to Alexander as Natsu, Happy, Hoshi, and Zeke attempted to pry the amazonian woman away from the tiny wolf spirit while the Titan Five laughed at this.

"That's one way of putting it." The one-eyed man said with a chuckle as the rest of Team Morningstar finally managed to separate Alyssa from Lupus, much to her displeasure.

"Sorry about that." Lucy said to the wolf spirit.

"It's okay, Ms. Lucy." Lupus replied.

"Oh, you can just call me Lucy."

"Okay!" The tiny girl said with her arms raised up. The two went over the usual business when forging a contract (what days she was unavailable, what food she liked, )

"Um, Lucy?" Lupus asked.

"Yes?" The blonde celestial wizard asked in return.

"Never mind." The wolf stated before standing back up, Lucy doing the same. "Let's kick all kinds of butt together!"

"You got it." Lucy replied with a fist bump and a smile. The small wolf spirit then leaped into the air before vanishing back to the Celestial World. Long decided to do the same, saying she needed her beauty rest.

"Alright, that's enough excitement for one day." Seward said as he started to roll open his sleeping bag. "We got a lot of ground to cover tomorrow."

Soon enough, the twelve wizards were fast asleep in their sleeping bags, the fire dying out as the night went on. But they were not the only ones turning in for the night. In the Celestial World, Lupus was setting up her sleeping in her den, which gave her a full view of brilliant stars moving in the skies. And as she laid her head down on her pillow, she felt a hint of excitement at the thought of going into battle with Lucy. After years of her key being handed off or sold, someone finally decided to form a contract with her.

'Could Lucy be the one?' Lupus thought to herself. 'Can she help me achieve my dream?'

Either way, she decided that she was going to be the best partner Lucy ever had and they would achieve their dreams together.

_To be continued…_


	11. Rumble in the Desert

_Chapter 11: Rumble in the Desert_

_On a cool night, the moon high in the sky, a pair of young lovers were engaged in a romantic embrace in front of a roaring fire. Their bodies glistened with sweat as they laid on a rug, exploring each other's bodies with their hands and lips._

_The girl pulled away for a moment, breathless, blonde hair disheveled yet beautiful, and moaned her partner's name, "Freed."_

_"Lucy," the boy said, his voice passionate and wanting, as his long green hair hung down, practically tickling the girl's face._

_He immediately re-engaged the embrace._

_As he trailed kisses up her neck, his hands got to work; one gently glided across the girl's back while the other stroked her thigh._

_"Freed," she moaned as he began to gently nibble on her ear._

_Then he started to nibble not so gently, which was quite uncomfortable for her._

_Then he bit down. Hard._

"AHHHHHH!" Lucy screamed, suddenly wide awake. As her senses returned to her, she remembered where she was and why she was here. The mission, the Titan Five, the Badlands. The Badlands which were infamously the home for tribes of insane cannibals.

Naturally, there was only one reaction she could have in this situation.

"I DON'T WANT TO BE EATEN!" She screamed, before tossing whoever was biting her ear into the air… right in the direction of Zeke and his sleeping bag. Said archer was just waking up from Lucy's screaming.

'It is far too early for this nonsense.' The archer thought rubbing his eyes. Zeke barely had time to register the flying person before they made a crash landing on his head, sending them both tumbling to the ground.

Lucy, having calmed down enough to think rationally, finally saw the person she had sent flying was in actuality, not a cannibal, but the Wolf Spirit, Lupus.

"Oh my gosh! Lupus, Zeke, I'm so sorry!" Lucy cried out, rushing to help the dazed wolf spirit and archer.

"You're really strong, Ms. Lucy," The tiny wolf spirit said in confusion.

"And we're off to a great start." Zeke stated as he picked himself off the ground. As he did this, Lucy explained how she thought that Lupus was a cannibal, so the wolf spirit was quick to forgive her. Lupus, in turn, explained to Lucy that nibbling on someone's ear was how most wolf spirits wake up their friends and family.

"By the way, who's Freed?" Lupus asked.

"Huh? How do you know that name?"

"Well, you kept saying his name in your sleep." The silver-haired girl explained, making Lucy blush as she recalled her dream.

"He's her booooooyfriend!" A sing-song voice called from the side.

"Happy?!" Lucy turned to the smiling blue cat, who was sitting across from her and enjoying a carton of milk. "When did you wake up?!" She asked, her face bright red.

"About three minutes ago." Happy stated, grinning mischievously at Lucy. "You must've been having a real naughty dream with how you were moaning, Lucy. 'Oh, Freed! Yes! It feels so good!'"

"Boyfriend?" Lupus's ears perked as her lips curled into a similar smirk. "You're so naughty, Lucy."

"Not you too!" Lucy cried, burying her face in her palms. First the cat and then her own spirit, she was overcome with embarrassment before she realized something strange. "Wait a second Lupus, how are you even here? I didn't summon you."

"It's like I said before; you're really strong, Lucy." The wolf girl stated. "I wanted to see you right away and I had no trouble passing through the gate. Usually, that means the caster is incredibly powerful."

"Hm." Lucy thought before getting a cocky smirk. "Well, I don't like to brag, but I am Fairy Tail's number one Celestial Wizard."

'Wait,' Lucy thought, her face turning white as a sheet. 'If my spirits can pass through the gate whenever they want, then that means…' Her mind began conjured up images of Aquarius appearing to just to insult her, drown her, or both whenever she was cranky; Leo showing up to flirt with her at the most inappropriate moments; and, heaven forbid, Taurus randomly showing up to perv on her.

Happy and Lupus could only stare in confusion at their unresponsive.

After having breakfast, the group started to walk again. It wasn't until around noon that they had come across something.

"Hey, Natsu? You hear that?" Izumi asked her fellow dragon-slayer. Natsu closed his eyes, focusing on his hearing until he picked up something in the distance.

"What's up?" Zeke asked, noticing his friend's closed eyes.

"I'm hearing three engines revving and tires on the sand," Natsu replied before pointing north. "Coming from there."

Soon enough, the sound of three engines became audible to everyone else, and three vehicles to accompanying those sounds appeared in the distance, too far away to make out any details.

"Think they can give us a ride?" Happy said, tired from walking all day as Zeke placed his goggles over his eyes.

"What are those?" Izumi asked.

"Telescopic Goggles," Zeke said, adjusting them. "They allow a wizard to see things from an incredible distance by applying magical energy to them and adjusting the settings with the knob on the left side."

What Zeke saw was a trio of customized black Magic Mobiles with exposed engines, flaming skull decals, and massive exhaust pipe with fire spitting out of them. But what caught the archer's attention the most was the fact that the punk-dressed drivers and their yelling passengers were carrying sticks with decapitated heads on them.

"Unless everyone's willing to let these guys put our heads on pikes, they're probably not going to give us a ride." Zeke said as he summoned his bow. After quickly picking out his targets, he fired three energy arrows, each hitting their mark. Which in this case were the exposed engines of all three Magic Mobiles.

"What the fu…" One of the drivers had said before the three engines exploded, decimating a large portion of the vehicles, burning the drivers and sending the passengers flying into the sand.

"Bullseye," Zeke said with a smirk before dismissing his bow. "Alright, let's keep moving."

"Aw. I was aching for some action," Natsu pouted, his fists already on fire.

"We wasted enough time fighting that Fang Worm yesterday," Seward explained as he continued walking ahead. "And with each passing second, Oculus grows ever stronger."

"So the sooner we kill it, the better," Zeke continued. "That means no side-tracking."

"It's like there's two of them," Claudia whispered to Izumi, who had a good giggle in return.

And so, the wizards of Fairy Tail and Titan Nose continued their noble quest, ready to see it through until the end.

_**Six days later…** _

"I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!" Hidalgo shouted at the top of his lungs. "IT'S JUST SAND AND ROCK AND CACTI AND MORE GODDAMN SAND!"

"I can't feel my legs anymore." Happy cried out before falling face-first onto the sand. And the blue cat wasn't the only one feeling drained. The past six days had been shockingly quiet for the wizards. No more marauding bands of cannibals. No wild animals attacking them for food. Nothing. And while this meant that they weren't needlessly exhausting their magical energy, the more battle-hungry members of their group were bored out of their minds while others were just agitated. Speaking of agitated…

"You guys bitching every two seconds isn't making things better," Claudia snapped, her jacket wrapped around her waist.

"I think I have every right since we've been walking for a week and found nothing!" Hidalgo stated. "I'm starting to think there's no Zeref out here at all and the Magic Council is just toying with us."

"Okay, why the hell would they that?" Hoshi asked, annoyed by Hidalgo's statements.

"Well, probably because of you guys," The jewel-covered man said, motioning at Team Morningstar and Lupus (who was panting with her tongue sticking out thanks to the heat).

"Huh? Why us?" Lucy asked in confusion.

"I've read the papers! You guys are called the Fairy Tail Demolition Team for a reason! Nearly every job you buffoons go on ends with tons of collateral damage," The Shine Wizard stated. "The Council probably sent you idiots on a wild goose chase hoping that you'd starve, get killed by a marauder, eaten by a fang worm, or die of heat stroke!"

"Hey, it's not like we want to destroy stuff. Things just get out of hand!" Natsu shouted in irritation. "And most of the time, the bad guys do more damage than us!"

"And besides, if the council wanted us dead, why would then send you guys to die with us?" Zeke countered.

"I don't know," Hidalgo said, shrugging. "Maybe that Siegrain guy wanted to off Seward. You know, kill two birds with one stone."

"Okay, now you're just pulling crap out of your ass." The archer retorted.

"Think about it. They're both Wizard Saints who have a high degree of influence in the political system and have sway with the council," Hidalgo explained. "He probably thought that sending a wizard saint on a demon killing missions with a team of wizards he had never met before would look too suspicious, so the rest of us Titan Five got dragged along for this.

"I think the sun's melted his brain." Alyssa whispered to Lucy, who nodded in agreement.

"Come on, Hid." Izumi said, calling him by her nickname for him to hopefully calm him down. "You're acting crazy. Mr. Fernandes is a hero. He wouldn't try to off his fellow Saint in some overly convoluted plan. Right, Seward?"

However, she got no response as the portly man stopped and started looking down at the sand, his expression unseen by everyone else.

"Seward?" Jack asked.

"AHHHHH! I'M SUCH AN IDIOT!" Seward shouted, grabbing his hair as he did so.

"Wait, what?" Izumi, Lucy, and Hoshi asked at the same time.

"It all makes sense. Siegrain has been undermining me at every monthly Wizard Saint meeting for as long as I can remember! He's always tried to one-up me ever since our days at the Research Bureau! Why the hell did I accept a mission from him?!" The Tome Wizard yelled out in a panic.

"C-Come on guys. Aren't you jumping to conclusions?" Lucy said, her voice shaking. "I mean, we saw footage of Oculus killing those exploration guys. Isn't that right, Zeke?"

However, to the blonde's dismay, Zeke had the same look of horrified realization as Seward.

"It could've just been an elaborate fake projection spell," the brunette said softly. "Now that I think about it, how the hell would they've gotten footage if the attack was unexpected?"

"So wait, let me get this straight." Alexander said. "You guys are saying that not only is there a good chance there is no giant eye demon waiting in the desert, and that we've wasted a week walking through the Badlands because of some asshole on the council?!"

"Those council jackasses!" Natsu yelled in anger, his head bursting with fire. "If they wanted to get rid of us, they should at least have the balls to do it themselves!"

But before anyone had a chance to say anything else, they were interrupted by the sound of something flying through the air. That something happened to be a spear that landed inches away from Happy's head, his fur (somehow) turning white out of pure shock.

"What the...where did that come from?!" Hidalgo shouted as everyone started to look around to find whoever threw the spear, but there seemed to be no one around for miles. Hoshi, however, noticed a piece of paper attached to the spear with a message written on it and began to read it out loud.

"Attention Outsiders, when you first arrived in our glorious lands, you committed an act of great blasphemy by slaying our brother worm, Tobias. For the past week, we have been observing you in secret to discover what your intentions are. However, your recent banshee-screaming has lead us to believe what you are not a threat. Therefore, we offer you this ultimatum; one of you willingly volunteer yourselves as a blood sacrifice and we will let the rest of you return to whatever hellish kingdom you call home."

The group, quite frankly, had no idea how to react to this. After all, someone had been quietly observing them without any of them even knowing it, and they were demanding that one of them should be killed for acting in self-defense.

"And if we say no?" Zeke shouted, figuring that whoever sent the message must have some way of hearing them as they were expecting a response. Another spear with a message landed next to Alexander, who then began to read it.

"Then we will do unspeakable things to all your orifices and murder you. Possibly not in that order." The one-eyed pirate read, which promptly conjured some rather unsettling mental images, freaking the more squeamish (and even the less squeamish) among them.

Seward decided to use this chance to put Hidalgo's theory to the test. "Listen," He said to the hidden observers. "Before we make our decision, we need to know something; has a demon recently appeared in this lands?"

After two minutes, another spear landed between Hidalgo's legs, who then read it out loud. "Is this demon a gigantic eye surrounded by black tentacles?" He crumpled the paper. "And watch where you're throwing these spears will ya?! You could have hit my family jewels," Hidalgo smirked. "They're a national treasure."

"Yes, that's the very one!" The Tome Wizard explained, ignoring Hidalgo's crass comments. "One of the governing bodies of our country sent to slay this demon. And the more time we waste, the stronger the beast grows and the bigger threat it becomes to your glorious land!"

'Nice bargaining.' Zeke thought to himself, feeling like that whoever their observers were had enough sense to realize that Oculus was a threat to them as well. Another spear landed next to him, and when Zeke read it, that hope was quickly dashed.

"Our great king Yaza slew the beast five nights ago. Its corpse is currently decorating his trophy room."

"Fantastic! Thank's for taking care of that!" Hidalgo said before turning around. "We'll just be on our…"

And another spear with a message landed in front of him.

"Blood must be paid with blood. Choose a sacrifice, or you will all die. P.S. We also care not for your pitiful excuse for genitals you gaudy, vomit haired buffoon." Hidalgo screamed in rage.

"You're not gonna let us walk away, are you?" Alyssa asked, with another spear with a message landing next to her.

"Correct."

The group looked at each other and knew what their answer was.

"No deal, assholes." Zeke stated he quickly started to channel his magical energy before stomping his foot down and chanting,  _"Stand tall, Emerald Aegis!"_

The stone-skinned fighting spirit immediately manifested behind the archer (much to the surprise of the Titan Five) just as the air was filled with of hundreds of spears flying at them from every direction. Aegis quickly conjured a dome shield that covered the entire group a split second before the spears reached them, shattering and breaking apart as they hit the magic energy shield.

"Alyssa!" Zeke said, tossing his goggles to her as the rain of spears continued. She quickly put on the goggles and accelerated her body to the point that, from her perspective, everything seemed to be moving slow molasses in winter. She zoomed in on the nearby plateau and saw several human shaped distortions in the sand, one making a flinging motion, a spear becoming visible as it left the figure's grip. Alyssa looked around and saw hundreds of distortions all around them. She then decelerated and everything began to move normally.

"Well?" Zeke asked, his brow furrowed in concentration.

"There's hundreds of them all around us using some kind of invisibility magic."

"So what do we do now? Wait until they're out of spears?" Hidalgo asked.

"You said it yourself, Hidalgo." Zeke answered with a cocky smile. "There's a reason they call us the Demolition Team. Guys! I'm gonna have Aegis drop the shield for a second! Smoke them out as soon I do!"

"With pleasure!" Natsu said with a grin of his own as he cracked his knuckles. Hoshi summoned forth her Thunderbolt staff while Lucy had one of her keys at the ready, Alyssa stretched her legs, Happy pulled out several lacrima grenades, Alexander twirled his flintlock around, and Lupus extended her claws. The Titan Five followed their lead as Izumi, Claudia, Jack (who had transformed into his stronger form), Hidalgo, and Seward prepared to attack as well.

"3...2...1!" Zeke shouted before dropping the shield. And the second he did…

_"Fire Dragon's Roar!"_

_"Thunderbolt!"_

_"Speed Queen: Twin Twisters!"_

_"Open, Gate of the Paired Fish - Pisces!"_

_"Wolf Claw Slash!"_

_"Water Dragon's Roar!"_

_"Hammer Wave!"_

_"Gold Rush!"_

_"Sword Art: Cross Slash!"_

_"Chapter 12: Vortex!"_

...everyone unleashed their magic at once. And the sudden barrage of fire, water, lightning, wind, energy, bullets, explosives, and giant fish managed to take out a good chunk of their enemies and blow their cloaks away, rendering them visible.

"They're stronger than we thought!" A female marauder exclaimed in shock.

"Doesn't matter!" A male marauder yelled out. "We can't let these invaders go free!"

Five of the marauders then let out a high-pitched whistle. Soon enough, the ground around Team Morningstar and the Titan Five began to shake.

"Oh crap!" Claudia shouted as the group remembered similar shaking upon their first day, and what followed after it. However, this time they were blasted up into the air by the arrival of five fully-grown Fang Worms.

 _"Lucy!"_  Pisces cried out before flying in and catching their master and her friends. Mother Pisces caught Lucy, Lupus, Hidalgo, Claudia, Zeke, Natsu, and Hoshi landing, while Son Pisces caught Alyssa, Happy, Izumi, Jack, Seward, and Alexander. The colossal fish spirits flew away and got some distance from the worms, giving our heroes a chance to breathe.

"Well, this is great." Hidalgo said with extreme sarcasm. "We barely beat one worm, now we gotta deal with five!"

"Natsu! Alyssa!" Zeke shouted. "Let's use that!"

The other two founders of Morningstar nodded as the three began to power up for their own spells. At once, Zeke fired a Drill Arrow, Natsu unleashed a Fire Dragon's Roar, and Alyssa fired her Twin Twister. As the three spells launched ahead, they soon merged together into a massive vortex of green fire.

 _"BLAZING EMERALD STORM!"_  The three shouted as the emerald tornado managed to push back one of the fang worms, causing it to smash into one of the plateaus and send several of the marauders flying.

'A Unity Raid with three wizards?' Seward thought as he looked upon the Blazing Emerald Storm in shock. 'No, it's far cruder than a true Raid, it's more like they just smashed the three spells together, though it's still very effective.' Seward thought to himself as he and the others leaped off of Pisces, ready to fight the marauders charging from the other sides.

"Pisces, can you keep the worms off us for a bit?" Lucy asked, the two colossal fish nodding in response before charging ahead and colliding with the massive worms.

 _"Open, Gate of the Rat - Shu!"_  Alexander chanted, summoning the doll-sized spirit onto his shoulder.

"Hiya, Captain!" The purple-haired girl said with a salute before noticing the charging spearmen. "Wow. You sure know how to get in trouble, don't ya?"

"What can I say? It's a gift." The blue-haired celestial wizard replied before getting serious. "Shu, do your thing!"

"Got it!" The rat spirit answered before tossing her whiskers in front of Alexander, creating five pink portals. The marauders stopped charging at the appearance of the portals. Alexander smiled before he quickly fired a shot into each portal, much to the confusion of the marauders. Well, they would have been confused if they hadn't just been hit in the back by Alexander's Flintlock rounds that had just exited five pink portals directly behind them.

 _"Requip: Boom!"_  Hoshi chanted, equipping the aforementioned staff before firing a wave of destructive energy at her foes.

 _"Shine Magic: Double Blinding Radiance!"_  Hidalgo shouted as the light reflecting off his jewelry, and Golden Boy increased to blinding levels.

"MY EYES!" Several of the bandits shouted before being bombarded by golden cannonballs.

 _"Requip: Tales of the Destructive Thunder!"_  Seward chanted, summoning a new yellow book and channeling magical energy into his right hand, before turning to Izumi (who was in the midst of evading and kicking away some foes). "Izumi, let's combine our magic!"

"Gotcha!" The blonde dragon-slayer said before approaching her leader, channeling magic into her right hand as well. The two slapped their glowing hands together and a blue and yellow magic circle appeared before them.

 _"Unity Raid: Electric Typhoon!"_  The two chanted as a shining wave of electrified water burst forward, simultaneously washing away and shocking the attacking marauders.

'So Natsu, Alyssa, and Zeke aren't the only ones who can combine their magic.' Lucy noted as she parried another bandit's attack before leaping back and slashing him across the chest with the extended Meteore. But as she did this, the blonde failed to notice one of the marauders charging at her from behind. Luckily for her, Lupus jumped and stomped on the marauder's head before using it as a springboard to land in front of Lucy.

"This is so much fun!" The wolf girl said with glee, as if she was playing a game instead of fighting for her life, which made Lucy sweat-drop. She also thought it was weird that she was able to summon Pisces while Lupus was still out, but figured that having Lupus out didn't take much of her magical energy.

Speaking of Pisces, the mother/son duo were still locked in battle with the five Fang Worms. While the two had the advantage in speed and mobility, the worms had greater size and rock-like skin on their side. As they were in midst of their entangling battle, one of the worms managed to bite down on Mother Pisces's side.

 _"Mama!"_  Son Pisces yelled out in concern, only to be blind-sided by two of the worms.

 _"Don't get distracted, Sonny!"_  Mother Pisces exclaimed before using her tail to smack the fang worm away, some of her blood dripping from its mouth.  _"We have a battle to win!"_

"Pisces." Lucy said in worry.

"Looks like they could use some help." Hidalgo said to Jack, the two also watching the battle between the giant creatures. The green-haired wizard made Golden Boy vanish and then began to channel magic into his right hand and Jack did the same before the two high-fived each other, creating a golden magic circle above them.

 _"Unity Link: Sword Boy!"_  The two chanted. The being that appeared from the magic circle was liquid metal like Golden Boy, but colored black instead of gold with the orbs now being the only things on its body. It also had a liquid metal coat and bandana that looked like Jack's and it was holding bladed tonfas in each of its hands.

"What the hell?!" Alyssa exclaimed in confusion while the rest of Team Morningstar looked on in shock.

"His Fighting Spirit changed!" Zeke proclaimed.

"Ya, that's Unity Magic." Claudia stated as she slammed a bandit into the air with her hammer. "For what I understand, it can only be done between two or more that have absolute faith and trust in each other."

"Take out those disgusting worms, Sword Boy." Hidalgo stated as he ran his fingers through his hair. The altered Fighting Spirit nodded before launching ahead at high speed.

 _"Sword Art: Silent Blade!"_  Jack shouted, Sword Boy's eyes glowing in response. In an instance, the black being appeared behind one of the worms, and faster than the eye could see, the Fighting Spirit sliced along the worm's weak points, orange blood gushing out of the cuts like some sort of demented fountain.

"Awesome." Natsu said in awe before going back to fighting the marauders.

"This ain't good." One of the bandits said as they watched the battle from the sides. "The invaders...their power is unlike anything we've faced before!"

However, everyone soon started to hear something in the distance.

"What the hell is that?" Zeke asked.

"It sounds someone trying to sing a high note and cough at the same time." Hidalgo commented.

"It is him! Our king!" One of the marauders exclaimed with glee. "He has come to deliver swift and just vengeance upon you trespassers!"

"ARARARARARARARAH!" Something screamed before landing in the middle of the battlefield, causing a massive explosion that kicked up a significant amount of dust. "What was unreal has become real! What is unjust is now just! I have come to tackle all those who seek to destroy my controlled chaos! You will face the power of the KIIIIIIIIINNNNNGG!"

The smoke cleared and revealed Yaza, now with two blood-covered pieces of cloth hanging from his elbows, worn out dark brown pants, no shoes, and various arcane symbols painted on his body with orange blood. He looked at Team Morningstar and the Titan Five with the eyes that looked like some unholy cross between a rabid animal and sociopathic killer. However, they changed to a slightly curious look at he saw Happy and Jack.

"So that's their leader." Zeke said, figuring that their boss would be a big ass savage guy like Yaza.

"YOU!" He yelled out, pointing at his foes. "You have spilled the blood of warriors far greater than you will ever be! I shall turn your insides into your outsides, and feed your organ-skin to my worm brothers! You will become nutrients that will in turn fuel our conquest of-"

 _"Arch Shot: Drill Arrow!"_  The brown-haired archer chanted before launching the spell straight at Yaza, attempting to take advantage of the large man's monologuing. But to everyone's shock, Yaza's arm was enveloped in light and he smacked the arrow spell away.

"Attempting to attack me before I'm finished speaking?! You truly lack the warrior spirit! Well then…" Yaza then raised his hands up in the air as an insane amount of magical energy began to flow out of him. "...I SHALL BEAT THE WAY OF THE WARRIOR INTO YOUR MINDS AND SOULS!  _LIGHT-MAKE GIGA-SLICER!_ "

An orange 30-foot light construct in the shape of a buster sword manifested in his hands, shocking the wizards.

"HOLY SHI…" Natsu had shouted before everyone was forced to evade Yaza's downward swing.

"Shu!" Alexander commanded.

"Right!" The rat spirit replied before throwing a whisker and creating a portal in front of him. Alexander grabbed his pistol and fired a couple of rounds with the intention of shooting Yaza in the back. However, the bullets just bounced off of some kind of skin-tight light shield.

"The f*&k?!"

"My being is continuously protected by a Light-Make Skin spell, for all twenty-four hours of the DAY!" The orange-haired man proclaimed before lifting the Giga-Slicer up. "TAKE THIS!"

He swung down, caused the heroes to evade the massive sword again.

"AND THIS!"

Another swing.

"AND A LOVELY BUNCH OF THESE!"

However, this time, Zeke had no time to dodge the attack. So acting on pure instinct, he summoned Emerald Aegis and had the spirit catch the massive blade in between its hands. And his shock, it actually worked.

"WHAT?! NO ONE CAN STOP THE GIGA-SLICER!"

"Everyone! Take him down!" Zeke shouted, and the group did just that, quickly surrounding the massive Light-Make wizard.

 _"Requip: Ruinations Brought Forth!"_  Seward chanted, summoning a purple book to his hands.

"You might want to step back a bit." Hidalgo warned Natsu as Seward began to channel his own vast amount of magical energy.

 _"All things fall to the march of time! Face the oblivion and fade into nothing!"_  The wizard saint chanted as magical letters flew around him.  _"Chapter 54: The Tower of Calamity!"_

A purple magic circle appeared beneath Yaza followed by five more appearing in a tower formation above him. A column of purple magical energy blasted up from the circle under him, forcing him into the air and shattering his light-make weapon and shell. Then hit the second magic circle and was blasted upwards with even more force and magic. This continued like this until he reached the final magic circle and got blasted into the sky, his body singed by the spell.

However, the next sound that came out him was not a yell of pain, but boisterous laughter. "Excellent!" He exclaimed before looking at the battle between Pisces and Sword Boy, and the Fang Worms. "I've been waiting for a REAL OPPONENT!"

He then created a flat Light-Make platform that he used as a springboard to jump towards the aforementioned battle.

"What the hell is he doing?" Hoshi asked in confusion as the arcane markings on Yaza's body began to glow.

_"Great Beasts that rule this land! Allow us two to defend your sand! GREAT MERGE!"_

A sudden and blinding light burst from Yaza that forced Pisces, Lupus and the other wizards to close their eyes. And before the mother and son fish had a chance to open their eyes, they each had a massive rocky fist punch large holes into them. Soon enough, Team Morningstar and the Titan Five were able to open their eyes again and had only three words to describe what they saw.

"WHAT…" Natsu shouted.

"...THE…" Izumi proclaimed.

"...F&^K?!" Seward finished.

Whatever incantation Yaza had chanted caused him to merge with one of the Fang Worms. The new being had the upper torso of Yaza with everything below the waist being replaced with a massive worm tail. Essentially, he looked like a gigantic lamia made out of orange rock.

 **"BEHOLD!"**  The transformed Yaza bellowed.  **"YOU NOW STAND AGAINST THE ULTIMATE COMBINATION OF MAN AND WORM! I AM THE PINNACLE OF HUMAN SPIRIT AND BEASTIAL SAVAGERY! AND WITH THIS FORM, I SHALL BEAT ALL THAT MAKES YOU WHO ARE INTO SUBMISSION, AND THEN I WILL GO ON, UNTIL NOT EVEN THE MEMORY OF WHO YOU WERE IS LEFT STANDING!"**

He pulled his fists out of Pisces, and the two spirits began to fade back to the Celestial World due to their substantial injuries.

 _"I'm sorry, Lucy."_  Mother Pisces said before fading away.

 _"Looks like we lost this one."_  Son Pisces said with regret before he faded as well.

"Pisces." Lucy whimpered in concern.

 **"INVADERS, I'M GONNA SEND YOU TO HELL! _LIGHT-MAKE: HYPER-BALLISTIC!_ "** The massive chimera-being proclaimed before manifesting a giant bazooka construct in his arms, aiming it at the wizards as energy built up within the barrel.

"Sword Boy!" Hidalgo shouted.  _"Sword Impact!"_

The black fighting spirit quickly launched itself at Yaza's face, transforming itself into a large kodachi. It hit its mark, stabbing right into the merged wizard's right eye, causing orange blood to erupt out.

"AHHHHHHH!" The colossal merged-being screamed in pain, pulling the trigger on his bazooka construct. Thankfully, he missed his intended target by a wide margin, with the blast flying through the air for a few miles before hitting the ground, creating a mushroom cloud explosion, the force of which could be felt through the backdraft itself.

"We need to take this guy down before he gets another shot at us!" Zeke proclaimed.

"Leave it to me!" Hoshi declared as she dismissed her Boom staff.  _"Requip: Ophthalmoception, Audioception, Gustaoception, Olfacception and Tactioception!"_

In a flash of light, the five sensory staffs manifested in front of Hoshi as she crossed her arms with both her middle and pointer fingers extended.

_"Five-Point Staff Magic: Skyscraper!"_

_And thus, the massive illusion spell had been cast of Yaza, giving Hoshi complete control over his five senses. In the rider king's point of view, he blasted high into the air by an explosion of magical energy that wiped out the Badlands._

_**"NO! MY KINGDOM!"**  The chimera monstrosity cried out as he was blasted higher and higher until he reached the edge of the Thermosphere. He then heard a loud inhuman roar and saw the Skyscraper monster ripping through the dimensional plain. Black bindings then appeared out of nowhere and wrapped around him, leading him closer to the monster._

_**"NO! I WILL NOT BE DEFEATED BY SOME SALIVATING SKY SCOURGE!"**  He proclaimed as his orange magical energy began to flow like crazy. " **I WILL NOT BE YOUR DINNER! YOU WILL BE MIIIIIIIINNNNEEEE!"**_

_In a mad yell, he burst out his restraints and then proceeded charge ahead a bit into the Skyscraper monster. Doing so caused the world around him to shatter, destroying the illusion._

"Shit!" Hoshi cried out as Yaza started to regain his senses. "Okay, either this guy has more willpower than most people, or he's goddamn insane!"

 **"RARARARARARARAARRA!"**  The merged being screamed before smacking Sword Boy away, which in turn sent Hidalgo and Jack flying due to their link with the fighting spirit.

"I'm gonna go with option two." Zeke replied as he prepared his next spell.  _"Arch Shot: Demolition Arrow!"_

He fired the arrow spell, hitting Yaza in the face with a powerful explosion. With the monster man distracted by the pain, Natsu, with his Azure Flames ignited, and Izumi blasted ahead using fire and pressurized water to reach Yaza head.

 _"Fire Dragon's…"_  Natsu shouted his fist covered in azure fire.

 _"Water Dragon's…"_  Izumi proclaimed, her fist covered in raging water.

 _"IRON FIST!"_  The two finished, smashing their fists into Yaza's cheeks...only to have no effect.

 **"WHY DO YOU PEOPLE HATE MY FACE?!"**  The half-worm monstrosity bellowed before smacking the two away.  **"I'VE GROWN TIRED OF THIS GAME!"**

At this declaration, Yaza raised his worm tail into the air before slamming down in the direction his opponents, the resulting earthquake causing them to fly up into the air. As everyone was in the midst of free-falling, Yaza created two human-sized Light-Make claws and proceeded to grab two of them.

"Happy!" Alyssa cried out.

"Jack!" Hidalgo shouted.

Indeed, the two cats were captured and then dropped into Yaza's giant hands.

"Let go of my buddy you overgrown piece of…" Natsu began to shouted, only to be silent as Yaza started to clenched his fists, causing Happy and Jack to scream in pain.

**"AS I SAID, THIS BATTLE HAS JUST BECOME ANNOYING. YOU OUTSIDERS CLEARLY HAVE NO INTENTION OF FIGHTING LIKE TRUE WARRIORS, AND INSTEAD JUST USE ILLUSIONS AND DECEPTION TO FIGHT. I HAVE NO STOMACH FOR DISGUSTING FIGHTERS LIKE YOU."**

He then held his two captives up in the air.

**"I WILL TAKE THESE TWO...UNIQUE CREATURES AS RECOMPENSE FOR THE BLOOD YOU HAVE SPILLED. YOU MAY NOW LEAVE MY KINGDOM WITH ALL OF YOUR ORGANS INTACT."**

He looked down at the wizards with a savage killed glare.  **"BUT IF YOU DARE TO STEP FOOT IN THESE SACRED GROUNDS AGAIN, I SHALL HAVE YOU AS MY NEXT MEAL."**

And with that declaration, Yaza burrowed into the ground with Happy and Jack still in his clutches. The other marauders then climbed onto the Fang Worms and followed after their king, leaving Morningstar and the Titan Five tired, alone, frustrated, and Zeke summing up their situation in one word.

"F&*k."

_To be continued…_


	12. Citadel in the Mountain

_Chapter 12: Citadel in the Mountain_

"F&(K!" Zeke's shout reverberated across the desert as he and his teammates could only stare on in shock.

Before anyone could process it, Izumi broke into a mad dash straight to where Yaza had burrowed into the ground.

"Izumi, wait!" Seward shouted as he and the rest of the Titan 5 (minus Jack) ran after her. It was pointless, even bruised and tired as she was, Izumi was faster than her teammates and already had a head start. She likely would've left her teammates in the dust if Alyssa hadn't rushed ahead and grabbed hold of her.

"Woah, where do you think you're going?" Alyssa asked as Izumi struggled against the speed wizard's grip.

"Where do you think?!" Izumi said as she broke from Alyssa's hold and turned to look her in the eyes, the water wizard's eyes like a raging storm. "I'm going to find that worm loving freak, kick his ass, and get my friend back!"

"Yeah, how do you think I feel?" a voice cut in. Izumi and Alyssa turned to see Natsu walking towards them. "Happy's like a son to me. You don't think I feel like a piece of crap after watching that nutjob ran off with him?" the fire wizard barely held back his tears as he spoke. "But running in half cocked and dead tired won't do them any good," Natsu put a hand on Izumi's shoulder. "We'll get them back, I promise."

Izumi embraced her fellow Dragon Slayer as tears rolled down her cheeks. "Thank you." She said softly before breaking away from Natsu.

"Uh, quick question." Hidalgo said, disrupting this rather tender moment. "Do we even know where the hell those worm lovers ran off to?"

There was only dead silence after that.

"Damn it, he's right!" Seward said, slapping his forehead. "Even if we were in any condition to find them, their base of operations could be anywhere in the Badlands."

"Can't you guys track their smell?" Lucy asked the Dragon Slayers.

"No good," said Natsu, shaking his head. "They went and burrowed underground after the fight and took their scent with them."

"Even if they surfaced before they made it home, the sand and wind will make it really difficult to sniff them out," Izumi said with a sigh. "Natsu and just aren't used to tracking in this environment."

"Great, so not only have Happy and Jack been catnapped, but we have no idea where they could be, and we track them down," Claudia exclaimed. "Seward, please tell me you have some sort of emergency plan you've been saving just incase?" She asked her team leader hopefully.

Seward could on shake his head in despair.

All hope seemed lost for our intrepid group of wizards, their animal companions sentenced to become worm food. A dark hung over all their heads as they everyone came to the same conclusion; they had failed Happy and Jack. Seward, as much as it broke him, began considering cutting their losses and heading home. No one wanted to admit it, but it was looking like the best option at the moment.

That is until Alexander gave a hearty laugh. "AHHAHAHA!"

This got the group's attention. There he was, Alexander Marvel, captain of the Star Liberators, Celestial Wizard of the Red Zodiac, standing with his back against the sun, coat billowing in the wind. Suddenly, that dark cloud disappeared as they gazed upon the positively heroic looking pirate wizard. He took a step forward, ready to give an inspiring speech-

-before falling flat on his face.

"CELESTIAL KING DAMN IT!" Alexander shouted as he picked himself up off the ground.

"I was gonna give a really inspiring speech to get you guys out of your funk." The Celestial Wizard began dusting himself off.

"Well watching you make a fool of yourself made me smile," Hidalgo said with a shit eating grin, much to Alexander's chagrin.

Lucy was about to ask what her fellow Celestial Wizard had tripped over when she saw it. "Is that a person?!" Lucy exclaimed. Everyone turned to see that, yes, it was a person. Buried beneath a layer of sand and uncovered by Alexander tripping over him, was one of the marauders.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," Alexander exclaimed, pulling out a length of rope from his coat. "It looks like our luck has changed."

_**And then…** _

It had been two hours since Yaza defeated Team Morningstar and the Titan Five. After separating from his Fang Worm companion, the leader of the Worm Riders was now walking through the halls of his citadel, Happy and Jack now in a sack strung over his shoulders.

"Let us go, you asshole!" Jack shouted as he struggled inside the bag.

"You're gonna be sorry when Natsu and Alyssa come to rescue me! They're gonna kick your butt!" Happy shouted, only for Yaza to ignore them. Soon enough, the three entered his trophy room, the walls were lined with shelves packed with artifacts and mounted animal heads. He then proceeded to open a small cage and toss the two cats into it.

Yaza knelt down to look his newest prizes in their eyes. "You know, I've spent my entire life in the company of exotic animals. Fighting them. Consuming them. But out of all them, my favorite is the fang worm."

He stood up and then proceeded to walk towards a glass bowl that had three palm-sized fang worms inside. Yaza then reached into his pocket, pulling out a few scraps of unidentifiable meat. He continued to go on as he dropped the scraps into the bowl, the infant worms greedily devouring the meat. "They mate for life. Only consume what they need and no more. They never dispute over territory. And they know who their allies are."

Yaza then turned back to the cats, who had just begun to stand up. "But I have never encountered beings like you. You look like cats, but you walk on two legs and speak. Not only that, but you can use magic to grow wings and transform. You two are probably the second most interesting creatures I've seen this month."

"And who's the first?" Jack asked. In response, Yaza looked up at the wall behind them. The two felines followed his gaze and their eyes widened at the sight. High on the wall was the corpse of the demon, Oculus, hanging from the wall by a large nail embedded through its center. It's body, about ten feet in diameter, and tentacles, as long as its body was wide, hung limp and lifeless. The demon's eye was shriveled and shrunken, and bits of flesh were missing from its body.

"This one was quite the challenge," Yaza said with a manic grin on his face. "It slaughtered ten of my worm brethren and forced me to use all of my power. But in the end, the beast succumbed to the superior warrior."

" **Well, that figures,"** A voice said from seemingly nowhere, much to the shock of Yaza, Happy, and Jack. " **Oculus was never much of a fighter. That was more Deliora's forte."**

"Who are you?!" Yaza shouted before conjuring a Light-Make axe into his hands. "Show yourself, intruder! Before I find you and use your entrails as a cape!"

" **Wow. You're quite the nasty number,"** The voice said again before the shadows in the corner of the room started to form the shape of a man. A particular man with silver hair, a cane, and a top hat. " **Greetings, Lord Yaza. My name is Silas. Although you may know be better as the Shadowman."**

Happy's eyes widened in fear at the sound of his name.

"Great. Now I know the name my dinner!" The orange-haired savage shouted.

" **Now, now, there's no need for that,"** The silver-haired demon said as he tipped his hat. " **I'm actually here to help you out."**

"Why in the Great Worm's name would I need your help?" Yaza asked.

" **Because even though they're bit players, you've still kidnapped a member of Fairy Tail and Titan Nose. And if there's one thing these 'heroic' guild types cherish, it's friendship,"** Silas strut his way towards Yaza. " **I guarantee you they're on their way here to rescue these felines."**

Yaza's brow furrowed in annoyance. "What of it? I've bested them in battle once. I can do it again."

" **Oh, I do not doubt your power. But what of your subjects?"** Silas asked with a coy smile. " **A significant number of them were hurt in the battle. Not to mention your worm brethren, who are still reeling from their injuries. Are you willing to let your men suffer more?"**

Yaza's silence told Silas more about the Worm Rider than words ever could and confirmed he was the kind of man Silas thought he was.

" **I figured. So I have a proposal for you; let me and my associates handle the Wizards,"** The silver-haired man said before snapping his fingers. In an instant, Erigor, Ridley, Kurohebi, Flare, Nullpudding, Obra, and Oroboros manifested in wisps of shadows.

"And what exactly do you people gain from this?" Yaza asked.

"We all have a score to settle with Fairy Tail," Nullpudding explained.

"And if those Titan Nose guys get in the way, well, them's the breaks," Kurohebi followed up, rolling up his sleeve to reveal his black guild mark.

'Raven Tail, too?!' Happy mentally screamed, now more terrified than ever.

" **Also, we want that,"** Silas said, pointing his cane up at Oculus' corpse.

"You want a demon corpse?" Yaza asked with a raised eyebrow. "I supposed I can let go of one trophy to get these maggots out of my land. But what makes you people think you can defeat foes that I even had trouble with?"

"They're expecting you. They're not expecting us." Ridley stated with her glasses giving off a sinister glow. But as she did this, Erigor noticed Happy and Jack in the cages.

"Hey. I remember you." The wind wizard stated before approaching the cage. Happy backed away in fear while Jack growled in defiance. "You're Salamander's pet. Well just so you know, I'm gonna slice that pink-haired fly to pieces. Him and that speedy muscle bitch too."

"No." Alexei stated, surprising all the members of Raven Tail. The armored man rarely ever said a word. And when he did, it was of the utmost importance. "We have our targets. Stick to them."

"Right," Erigor growled.

" **Very well then. The players are ready, the pieces have been set, so let the game begin,"** Silas said with a hungry smile on his face.

_**And then...** _

After two days of walking, the Shadowman was proven right as Morning Star, the Titan Five (or four in this case,) and the captured marauder approached the citadel. It was a massive tower that appeared to have been built into the side of a mountain at least 2,000 feet tall.

"I don't believe it, he actually lead us straight here," Claudia said, holding onto the tied up marauder like a dog on a leash.

"It's not like I had a choice," the marauder said sorrowfully. "It was this or spend another session with that demon maid." The marauder shivered at the memory of his 'alone time' with Virgo.

"Either way, thank you for helping us Steve," Seward said to the marauder apparently named Steve.

"That's nice, but when will you let me go?" Steve asked.

"Right after we knock you unconscious, which will be right after we get our friends," Zeke said nonchalantly.

"WHAT!" the horrified marauder screamed.

"We can't just have you running straight to your boss while we're trying a pull off a rescue mission," Claudia said as she gripped her hammer. "Don't worry, I know just the spell to knock you but not cause any permanent damage."

"Okay, there it is," Natsu stated before turning to Zeke and Seward. "So what's the plan?"

"Alyssa goes in, rescues our furry friends, and we knock out Steve. Then we hightail the f*(k out of this desert," The brunette explained before turning to Alyssa. "You ready?"

The orange-haired woman nodded before getting into a starting position. "If I'm not back in five minutes, it probably means I'm either fighting someone or dead."

"Be careful," Natsu said to his girlfriend. Alyssa smiled and nodded before taking off, a cloud of sand rising in her wake. However, barely a minute after she left…

" _Storm Slice!"_

The group was forced to scatter as a massive wind blade launched towards them. Everyone stared in shock as the rocks they were standing on had been obliterated.

'This seems familiar,' Natsu thought before looking up to see Erigor floating in the air above them. "Erigor?! What the hell are you doing here?"

"To put it simply, Salamander, revenge," The white-haired man stated. "I haven't forgotten the humiliation I suffered at your hands!"

"Who the hell is this asshole?" Claudia asked.

"Erigor the Reaper," Lucy explained. "Former master of the dark guild Eisenwald. He tried to kill all the guild masters awhile back using Lullaby."

"Oh yeah, I remember reading about that," Hidalgo replied before summoning Golden Boy.

"You know, Erigor, for a former guild master, you're not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed," Zeke stated as he summoned his bow and aimed at Erigor. "You got your ass handed to you by two of us, and now you think you can take on ten wizards, one of whom is a wizard saint, by yourself? You're either astronomically stupid or insanely arrogant."

Hearing that just made the assassin smirk. "Who said anything about me being alone?"

" _Battlegrounds set. Combatants selected."_ A voice said from seemingly nowhere and everywhere at once.

All of a sudden, each of the wizards noticed a blue sigil had appeared somewhere on each of their bodies, and, unbenounced to them, a similar red sigil had appeared on Erigor's body. Before anyone had a chance to even say 'What the hell?!'...

" _Multi-Zone."_

...the light of the sigils intensified until Team Morningstar, the Titan Five, and Erigor vanished from the Badlands. Well, except for one of them.

"What the f&*k?!"

Along with the lone marauder.

"Why is my life like this?!"

_**Natsu…** _

When the salmon-haired Dragon Slayer could finally see again, he noticed that he was in some kind of torch-lit, cobblestone dungeon with a chandelier above him. However, his attention was on Kurohebi, who was perched atop a suit of armor, looking at Natsu like a snake ready to strike and devour its prey.

"Hello, Salamander. The name's Kurohebi. Big fan of your work," He said before leaping off the armor.

"What did you do my friends?!" Natsu shouted, igniting his fists with fire.

"Oh no, not me. This the work of my friend Obra," The black-haired man said, pointing to the red sigil on his neck, which matched the blue sigil on Natsu's left hand. "As long as his Zone Magic's working, we're not leaving until one of us is unconscious or dead."

"You still haven't told me why you...you know what? I don't care!" Natsu shouted before leaping forward. "I just gonna beat you senseless!  _Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"_

A snake-like smile appeared on Kurohebi's face, his eyes glowing purple as he leaped out of the way of Natsu's attack and whispered, " _Mimic."_

Natsu quickly turned to Kurohebi's direction, sucking in air for his next spell.

" _Fire Dragon's Roar!"_ He shouted, unleashing a torrent of fire at his foe. But instead of being consumed by the spell, Natsu heard a sucking sound that was all too familiar and saw the fire from his spell was flowing into Kurohebi's open mouth.

"Mmm, mmm, mmm! I can see why you eat fire! It's surprisingly tasty!" The snake-eyed man said, sucking his fingers like he just ate a banquet. "Now it's my turn!"

He held out his hands and conjured orange fire around his hands before he leaped up into the air. " _Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!"_

Natsu quickly ducked to evade the waves of fire, confused as all hell. "You...you copied my magic?!"

"Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!" He replied before launching his own Roar spell. Natsu attempted to eat the fire, only to find it incredibly foul.

"Uhhh. Okay, so you copied my magic. But you don't know how to use it!"

"Oh, you mean like this?" Kurohebi proclaimed before his body was consumed by Azure Flames, that serpentine grin never leaving his face.

Natsu barely stopped himself from recoiling in disgust. "But...it took me years to learn how to do that!"

"That's how my Mimicry Magic works. I just need to see one spell and boom! Instant mastery. In fact..." The black-haired wizard stated before channeling azure fire around left leg before raising it up. " _Fire Dragon's Erupting Stomp!"_

Kurohebi then smashed his foot into the floor. A few seconds later, the floor under Natsu started to glow blue before he was consumed in a pillar of fire. However, the only pain he suffered was from the force of the fire smashing him into the roof of the dungeon.

'What the hell, I've never used that spell before,' Natsu thought as he then landed on his feet, ready to fight again.

And as the two stared each other down, Natsu had a feeling this was going to take much more time and effort than he originally thought.

_**Zeke…** _

'Well, this isn't the weirdest thing to happen to me,' The brunette archer thought to himself as he walked around a seemingly empty casino. 'Now I just gotta figure out what the hell is going on and how to stop it.'

But as he passed a poker table, he heard the sound of something metal bouncing off various objects. He noticed a glimmer of light out of the corner of his eye and quickly summoned Emerald Aegis to form a shield. And it was a good thing he did, as the magic shield blocked a bullet that would've gone into his head.

"Well, that's new," said a voice from above. Zeke looked up and saw Ridley standing on the floor above him, a smoking gun in her hand. "The files said nothing about you having a Fighting Spirit," a small smile appeared on her face. "But that just makes this all the more the fun."

"I'm guessing you're with Erigor," Zeke said as he summoned his bow. "Gotta say, the new Eisenwald's certainly more impressive than the old one."

"Oh, that's rich!" The bespectacled woman said with a giggle. "Hate to break it to ya, Sweetie, but you and your pals shut down Eri's old guild for good. So he went and found a new one."

She then proceeded to lift the bottom-left side of her shirt, revealing a golden guild mark that Zeke instantly recognized.

"Okay, and just what the hell is Raven Tail doing in the Badlands?" The archer shouted, now more cautious since he knew who was targeting him and his comrades.

"Now, where's the fun if I reveal everything at once, Mr. Righteous Leader?" Ridley said before running away, still giggling as she did. Zeke wasn't about to let her get away and mentally commanded Aegis to lower its right hand. He then stepped onto it before commanding the stone-skinned Fighting Spirit to toss him onto the floor above, Aegis fading back into Zeke after the toss.

The brunette archer quickly landed and prepared to launch a spell at Ridley, but the Raven Tail wizard turned her head and her left eye glowed for a second. Suddenly, the floor beneath Zeke broke apart and the archer fell through the hole.

"What the…" Zeke asked as he quickly started to push debris off of himself.

"You know, there's a phrase all pro-gamblers have," Ridley said, her voice barely audible as she ran deeper into the casino. "You better be careful with your winnings, 'cause your luck can change in the blink of an eye!"

_**Lucy…** _

The blonde Celestial Wizard was carefully walking through a forest, holding Meteore at the ready to protect herself from whatever nasty beast that could be hiding in the trees.

" _There once was a girl in a forest…"_  A disturbingly calm voice said, causing Lucy to frantically look around.

"S-show yourself!" Lucy ordered, putting on a brave front as her other hand slowly went for her keys.

" _...who bumbled around like a tourist…"_

Lucy then grabbed Sagittarius' key, ready to summon him the second she spotted her foe.

" _...and soon, she'd turn red, despite her cute head…"_

The blonde then heard the sound of mechanical clicking and buzzing. This was soon followed by the sound of something metal cutting through wood.

" _...for I would take her life in earnest."_

The sound came closer and closer until she realized it was coming from right behind her. She turned as fast as she could and swung Meteore to deflect a buzzsaw that would've taken her head off.

" _Open, Gate of the Archer - Sagittarius!"_ She chanted, summoning the weirdly-dressed spirit.

"Tally ho, Miss Lucy!" The horse spirit greeted with a salute. "How may I…"

Suddenly, Sagittarius spotted something out of the corner of his eye, and quickly shot down three more flying buzzsaw with his arrows.

"Never mind! I figured it out."

"Can you figure out where they're coming from?" Lucy asked, standing back to back with her spirit. As more buzzsaws came flying through the trees, the two defended each other by shooting or knocking the blades out of the air.

"I'm afraid not, my lady," Sagittarius stated as he continued to shoot down more projectiles. "This brush is too vast and the buzzsaws seem to be coming from every direction. If I was a tracker, the odds would truly be in our favor."

And hearing that made Lucy's eyes widen in realization. She did have a spirit like that. One that wouldn't take much of her magical energy. The blonde grabbed a familiar silver key and began her chant.

" _Open, Gate of the Wolf - Lupus!"_

The tiny wolf spirit appeared out of her gate with a somersault. "Hiya, Lucy! Didn't think you'd need-"

Lupus' ears twitched and she quickly ducked under a buzzsaw that Lucy deflected.

"Wait, a second! Weren't you guys in a big and boring desert?" The silver-haired girl asked.

"I'll explain later! Can you track down the guying throwing these?" Lucy asked as she deflected another buzzsaw. Lupus nodded before grabbing one of the fallen buzzsaws and sniffing it. Once the scent of ancient wood and metal was memorized, the silver-haired girl rushed into the forest, determined to find the enemy. Soon enough, she saw a buzzsaw fly from the north before boomeranging around a tree and towards Lucy. Lupus followed the scent of the buzzsaws and the sound of them flying through the air like a trail of breadcrumbs.

Eventually, she spotted Obra standing in a clearing, the strange blue-skinned man manifesting buzzsaws in front of them before tossing them. With a predatory smile on her face, Lupus quickly moved from bush to bush until she was looking at Obra's back and started to quickly channel magical energy around her hands until they had transformed into glowing wolf claws. She then waited until Obra manifested another disk, and then attacked.

" _Wolf Claw Strike!"_ Lupus shouted, leaping out of her hiding spot and quickly stabbing Obra through his back, right where his heart should've been. The silver-haired spirit believed she had just won the fight...until she heard her opponent chuckling.

" _You know, you'd think I'd get tired of people thinking that a stab in the back will do me in,"_ The blue-skinned man said. With a sickening crack, Obra was looking right at Lupus, whose claw was still in his back. He seemed to stare right into Lupus's soul with his beady black eyes. " _But no, it never gets old."_

Recovering from the shock of his inhuman movement, Lupus retracted her claws from her foe's body and jumped back. She looked down in confusion and fear at her claws, perfectly clean claws that should have been covered in blood. "What… what are you?"

" _I am many things,"_ Obra proclaimed as the rest of his body turned around with sickening cracks and pops, the wooden puppet on his left shoulder smirking. " _I am living proof of humanity's sins. I am the voice of a dead society. I am revenge fully-realized. But to you and your master…"_

His eyes glowed red and more inhuman, almost-mechanical sounds were coming from his body as it began to change. First, his arms split open, revealing two spinning drills. Next, his shirt was ripped apart as seven spinning buzzsaws emerged. Finally, his teeth transformed into a spinning tunnel of blades, not unlike that of a Fang Worm. And as Lupus looked at her foe in terror, the puppet's grin grew wider.

" _I AM YOUR EXECUTIONER!"_

_**Alexander…** _

The one-eyed Celestial Wizard was currently walking through a massive cave, a floating illumination lacrima providing him light and his celestial arms at the ready. He had also summoned Hu as soon as he got his bearings, figuring that the tiger spirit's animal senses would alert them to any danger. However, they had been exploring the cave for almost ten minutes and found nothing.

"Anything?" Alexander asked.

"Not yet, Captain," Hu replied. And to be honest, Alexander wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. On one hand, he might not have to fight anyone, but he also had no idea where he was or if he could even get back to his friends. Suddenly, his train of thought came to a grinding halt when Hu held out his arm to stop him.

"What is it?"

"I smell something. Coming from that direction," The tiger stated, pointing to a nearby tunnel. "There's also something odd about the scent."

"How so?"

"It...it smells familiar. But I can't quite remember why."

And with that ominous statement, the celestial wizard and his spirit went into the tunnel until he arrived at a shallow lake. Sitting in the middle of a small, lone island was Oroboros, her back turned against the two.

"I'm guessing you're one that teleported me and pals away from each other," Alexander stated. However, Oroboros gave no response, much to Alexander's annoyance. Hu, ignoring her lack of a response, continued to examine the woman, trying to figure out what was so off putting about her.

The one-eyed celestial wizard then aimed his gun at her. "Look, I'm a nice guy, so I'm gonna give to the count of three before I put one in between your eyes. 1…"

'Something's wrong,' Hu thought to himself as Oroboros stood up.

"...2…." Alexander continued, ready to pull the trigger.

'Something about this woman...this scent...it's on the tip of my tongue,' The tiger thought. He then noticed the purple-haired woman starting to unsheathe her blade, and his eyes widened when he saw a glimmer of red and black. "Captain, don't…"

"3!" And with that, Alexander pulled the trigger. But faster than his eye could see, Oroboros turned around and sliced the bullet in half.

"So it is you!" Hu started, now recognizing the woman standing before him and his master. "But how is that possible?! YOU SHOULD BE DEAD!"

"Hu, you know this lady?" Alexander asked, a feeling of dread crawling up his spine as he saw her snake-like eyes.

"So this is the kind of master you bow before," Oroboros stated before sighing. "I pity you, old friend."

"Hu, seriously! Who is this?!" The one-eyed man asked as the woman started to walk towards them, the sound of water splashing with every footstep echoing throughout the cave.

"She's the reason Red Zodiac Spirits are considered dangerous and unpredictable." Hu stated, his jaw clenched and his claws extended. "The one who first committed the ultimate taboo. She, the Snake."

"Know this, Hu," She/Oroboros stated before brandishing her sword, Alexander looking on in shock and disbelief. "I take no pleasure in what comes next."

_**Hoshi…** _

"Oh shit!" Hoshi exclaimed as she leaped out of the way of a wind spell, which cut the rock behind her in half. " _Requip: Boom!"_

The behatted woman summoned her staff and launched a blast of destructive energy upwards at Erigor, who simply flew out of the way. They were currently fighting in a canyon, not unlike the one Natsu and Alyssa fought him in.

"Don't take this the wrong way, Toots!" Erigor stated as he swung his scythe, launching another spell. "I got nothing against you personally. I owe Salamander and the Speed Queen for screwing me over and costing me my guild!"

"Oh, I know!" Hoshi said as she took cover behind a large rock. "You and your cronies tried to the murder the guild masters with a cursed flute, but Morningstar kicked your ass!"

Hearing that just made Erigor scowl. "You flys sure love running your mouths! Do you even know who I am, or do you just read that tabloid garbage?!"

"Should I care?" She asked, which only served to piss Erigor off even more, the winds in the canyon becoming more violent to match his temper.

"I have snuffed out over three-hundred lives! I am the wizard who was bestowed the title of a death god! I AM ERIGOR, THE REAPER!"

The wind around him started to whirl faster and faster, blowing Hoshi's cabbie hat off her head as she looked up.

"Aw, crap."

"AND YOU WILL KNOW MY WRATH!  _EMERA BARAM!"_

_**Hidalgo…** _

"Is it too much to ask?!" The Shine Wizard shouted to the sky as he ran away from Nullpudding, desperately trying to avoid the needles the purple man was shooting from his arms. To make matters worse for Hidalgo, when he leaped out of the way, he found himself heading face first into a purple cactus.

" _Golden Boy!"_ The green-haired man shouted, the golden fighting spirit manifesting and stopping its caster from hitting the spiky plant.

"I couldn't fight a sexy enemy mage, no! I get stuck in a purple cactus field, fighting someone with an ass for a face!"

And hearing that actually made Nullpudding stop his next attack and rub his chin. "Hey, screw you, asshole! This chin made me a stud back in my home village!"

"Ah, of course! How could I not have heard of the village of cactus people?" The taller man said, his voice and body language oozing sarcasm as Golden Boy mimicked its master. "But seriously, why do you look like that? Is it a side effect of your magic, or was your mother just lonely and desperate?"

To emphasize his point, Hidalgo pointed his thumb at a rather phallic-looking cactus. And you can rest assured, Nullpudding got what his foe was implying, and was royally pissed off.

"My mother was a saint! I'll kill you!" He shouted before charging ahead. But that was exactly what Hidalgo wanted.

" _Shine Magic: Double Blinding Radiance!"_ The green-haired man chanted before his jewelry and fighting spirit lit up like crazy, temporarily blinding his purple foe and making him crash headfirst into a cactus.

"Now, you gonna stop making out with your girlfriend, or are you going to fight for real?" Hidalgo taunted, chuckling at his own joke. However, this stopped when he felt a surge of magical energy coming from his opponent. Speaking of Nullpudding, he had suffered no injuries from the cactus and his arms quadrupled in size, the spikes growing to the size of swords.

"Oh, balls."

_**Izumi…** _

'Come on! There has to be some way out of here!' The water dragon-slayer thought to herself, sweating like crazy as she ran through the lava field. Rivers of flowed all around her, radiating a bright orange glow, while the ground was dark red, almost ready to burst.

Speaking of bursting, that's exactly what happened as Izumi was forced to jump back as the ground erupted in front of her. And out of the lava came a massive ball of crimson hair being pulled up by tendrils of hair. The giant ball of hair then unraveled to reveal the psychotic-looking Flare, her hair shortening as she landed on the magma field.

"You're not getting away that easily, Blondie." The redhead said with a sinister cackle as her foe got into a fighting stance.

_**Seward…** _

The portly wizard saint and Alexei were standing off in the middle of a coliseum. Neither of them had made a move, as they were trying to analyze each other and see who would strike first. The armored figure was fully-aware of his opponent's legendary analytical skills. The second he unleashed a spell, Seward would find some way to counter it.

As for Seward, he was cautious around his foe since he could feel the vast magical power radiating off them. As such, he was looking for any kind of tell, which was hard to do considering his foe's armor covered their entire body.

" _Are you going to make a move, or do I have to do it for you?"_ Alexei asked, revealing his male voice to Seward.

"Forgive me, but I'm not one to charge at an unknown foe half-cocked. And I'm guessing you have a similar philosophy."

The armored man chuckled before sitting down in one of the coliseums' chairs. " _You're right. So it looks like we're at an impasse. I refuse to let you know my magic so that you can come up with a counter, and you're not going to attack without knowing what I'm capable of. Oh well, it doesn't matter either way. In a few minutes, all of your comrades will be dead and you'll have me and my friends to deal with all by yourself."_

'Shit, that's right!' Seward thought to himself as he opened his hand. 'It's not just my life on the line! I can't waste any more time trying to size him up. Guess I'll just have to wing it!'

" _Requip: The Frozen Accords!"_ The black-haired wizard saint chanted before summoning a dark blue tome into his hands. He then quickly used his wind reader glasses and held his other hand up, creating five magic circles above him. " _Chapter 28: Raining Ice Spears!"_

Like the spell stated, a barrage of ice spears launched themselves at Seward's foe. But instead of countering with a spell or evading as the Wizard Saint believed his foe would do, the spears hit their mark, stabbing through Alexei's armor, blood spurting from his wounds. Which included his head.

'Okay, no way it was that easy.' Seward thought to himself as he looked around for any kind of trap. And indeed, a trap was sprung a dozen arms covered in golden armor emerged from the ground. In his struggle, Seward looked down and saw several Alexei reaching up to grab him and he prepared his next spell.

" _Chapter 87: Cold Touch!"_ He chanted, his body began radiating a blue aura that froze the Alexeis touching him. And with a bit of forceful movement and stomping, Seward shattered them into pieces.

" _Have you figured it out yet?"_ Seward heard a voice from behind him and turned around to reveal yet another Alexei standing there, untouched and unharmed even as the bloody corpse of the first Alexei still laid warm on the Coliseum floor. " _Or has the great thinker been stumped?"_

More and more Alexeis began appearing all over the coliseum until Seward was surrounded by an entire army of men in golden armor.

'This….this has to be some kind of illu-' The portly wizard saint thought to himself before the Alexei in front of him knocked him to the ground with punch to the face. As Seward recovered, he watched in mesmerized horror as the army of Alexeis marched towards them, each with the intent of killing him.

" _And now, the game has truly begun."_

_**Yaza's Citadel…** _

"NOW THIS IS ENTERTAINMENT!" The boisterous Light-Make wizard proclaimed as he slammed a mug of mead onto his throne. To sweeten the deal with the Rider King, Silas offered to show his comrades killing the invading wizards via several magic protection spells, each one of them showing a different battle.

But he was not the only one watching the battles, as the caged Happy and Jack were also watching. Happy felt helpless that he couldn't do anything while his father-figure and friends were in danger, while Jack was frustrated knowing that even if he transformed, he stood no chance against the Rider King and his demonic guest.

Speaking of the Shadowman, while Yaza was watching with mirthful glee, Silas couldn't help but think something was amiss. His comrades were only fighting eight wizards, which means there were two enemies unaccounted for.

" **Pardon me, my liege. It would seem my comrades missed a few rats."** The Shadowman stated before vanishing into the shadows, not that Yaza was paying attention.

In the lower levels of the citadel, Alyssa was checking each of the rooms for Happy and Jack, moving fast enough to evade detection from the guards. Eventually, she started to run up the stairs, but as soon as she reached the top, she ran into a net of solid shadow, becoming entangled in the net.

"What the hell?" She shouted as she struggled against the shadows.

" **Well, well, well. Look what we have here."**

As soon as she heard that voice, Alyssa's eyes widened in fear and her breath hitched. She slowly looked up and saw Silas walking towards her, his cane tapping against the stone floor. And as he got closer, her mind flashed back to that night, the night she lost everything.

_She and her family had picked up a weathered old man dying of hunger. How her parents gave him food to replenish his strength. And then, in a single instant, the massacre began._

_The old man's kind and grateful smile turned into a hungry grin. His limbs became living shadows that stabbed her father through the head, snapped her mother's neck, impaled her aunts and uncles, and beheaded her cousins. And in an instant of pure terror, with fire all around them, and the Shadowman looking down at her with hungry eyes, Alyssa's magic awakened and she ran for her life._

" **You must be the ballsy one of your team,"** Silas said as he bent his knees, taking a closer look at Alyssa. As he looked her over, he saw the look in her eyes. " **Oh wow. Now that's some raw fear. You must've heard of me before."**

"...S-Shadowman," Alyssa whispered.

" **There it is! Finally!"** Silas said, standing up and twirling his cane in glee. " **I was starting to think humanity had completely forgotten me! I mean, getting sucker-punched and captured by some crazy bitch in Soul Armor would do a number to anyone's reputation. But no, I'm still relevant! I can see it your eyes! You've probably heard of my exploits and-"**

But before he could go on, Alyssa's fear turned into pure, unadulterated rage as she vibrated her limbs and tore through the shadow net and stood up, glaring at Silas with more hatred than she had ever known before. Her original mission of saving Happy and Jack was now the farthest thing from her mind. Faster than the Shadowman could react, Alyssa blasted towards him, her fists reared back.

" _Speed Queen: Thousand-Strike Punch!"_ She proclaimed, hitting the shadow-wielding demon a thousand times in a matter of seconds, the final punch sending him smashing through a nearby wall.

" **Okay, wow. You went from scared to pissed off in less than a second,"** Silas stated, shifting into his shadow form to escape the rubble before returning to his human form. " **I must've done something really messed up to someone you care about."**

"You slaughtered my entire family!" Alyssa shouted before manifesting her Empress Armor's gauntlets and boots. "I'M GONNA TEAR YOU APART!"

" **You're gonna have to more speci-oh, shit!"** Silas before he evaporated to evade Alyssa's stone-shattering kick. " **And threatening to tear me apart? Oh, how original. Like I haven't heard that one before."**

The amazonian woman kept up her barrage, but the living shadow just evaded, not even seeming to care about the fight as he laid down more sarcasm.

" **I bet I know what else you're thinking; 'I shall have my revenge!' 'You monster! They were people!' 'Your reign of terror ends now!' Trust me, she-man, you're not the first person to swear horrible revenge against me, and you certainly won't be the last."**

But Alyssa ignored his taunts and continued her assault, shattering more stones and columns as Silas simply shifted out of the way.

" **Okay, now I'm just getting annoyed.** _ **Shadow Hounds!"**_ The human-looking demon man snapped his fingers and created several hounds made of living shadow. The beasts leaped towards Alyssa, but she managed to kick one of them away, block one biting hound with one of her gauntlets, but the others began to pile on her, biting into her flesh and trying to rip her apart.

But Alyssa wasn't going down without a fight, rage, and adrenaline blocking out the pain.

" _Speed Queen: Tornado!"_ She shouted, spinning at high speeds and tossing the shadow beasts away from her. She then blasted towards Silas, jets of magic energy blasting out of the sides of her right gauntlet and the orange jewel glowing brilliantly.

" _EMPRESS KNUCKLE!"_ Alyssa proclaimed before uppercutting the Shadowman in the face. And much to Silas' shock, the spell actually damaged him, shattering his lower jaw and sending him flying through the upper floor.

" **Father damn it!"** Silas cursed as he reconstructed his jawbone back into proper shape and re-manifested on the floor above his foe. " **She has Soul Armor! Why do I keep running into these maniacs?!"**

He then felt his hounds being torn apart by Alyssa on the floor below and was soon consumed in his own anger. His body soon began to morph, Silas' pale flesh giving way to moving shadow, his eyes and mouth becoming like that of a jack-o-lantern with a sinister yellow glow, and his hands and feet becoming claws.

After destroying the shadow hounds, Alyssa rushed up to the next floor and was stopped dead cold at the sight of the Shadowman's true form. A form that had haunted her nightmares for nearly a decade. The silhouette. The yellow eyes. Horrifying memories of that night now standing before her.

" **Alright, human. If you miss your family so much, I'll gladly send you to them."** The Shadowman stated, his voice no longer having any shred of fake humanity left as he glared at his next meal.

_To be continued…_


	13. The Beast Awakens!

_Chapter 13: The Beast Awakens!_

As far as Happy and Jack were concerned, things had taken a turn for the worse for them and their friends. Not only were the rest of Team Morningstar and the Titan Five locked in various life or death battles, but their opponents seemed to have been hand-picked to counter their magics. Even worse, the two cats were still trapped in a cage, forced to watch their friends fight for their lives while Yaza's demented, barking laughter filled the room.

However, while Happy was huddled in a corner, paralyzed by fear, Jack had his own plans. While Yaza was still distracted, he extended one claw and began to pick the cage's lock.

'Everyone, just hold on for a bit longer,' Jack thought. His plan was to slit Yaza's throat while his eyes were on the screens. After that, he and Happy would escape, find the wizard holding their friends in the pocket dimensions, and get the hell out of the Badlands once and for all.

Downstairs, Alyssa was pushing herself to her limits as she evaded the Shadowman's dark tendrils, any one of which had the strength to smash through solid stone. And since Alyssa had no idea how much punishment her Soul Armor could take, she didn't want to risk blocking.

Using one of the pillars as a springboard, she launched herself like a rocket and struck the amorphous creature with another Empress Knuckle to the chest, sending him reeling back.

" **You bitch!"** Silas shouted before aiming his left arm at the orange-haired amazon. His arm then started to bulge like a balloon ready to burst. " _ **Shadow Needles!"**_

And indeed, his arm did pop and unleashed a massive barrage of solid-shadow needles at Alyssa. And unfortunately, she didn't have time to dodge, so she started to rapidly swing her arms, deflecting the needles as fast they approached her. This continued until all of the needles were deflected and dissipated. However, the Shadowman wasn't done as he slithered towards his opponent and his right arm morphed into something else.

" _ **Shadow Maw!"**_ The demon chanted as his arm transformed into a massive dragon-like head with razor sharp teeth and yellow eyes. He launched ahead, intent on ripping the muscular wizard to shreds. Fortunately, Alyssa saw this out of the corner of her eye and brought her left gauntlet up as the maw chomped down, unable to pierce the purple armor. Alyssa then reared her other arm back as the orange gem glowed.

" _Speed Queen: Twister!"_ She chanted, spinning her arm in an arc so fast that it generated a tornado that blasted the Shadowman back. However, as he reconstituted himself once more, he began to notice some sweat running down Alyssa's forehead, his jack-o-lantern face turning into a sinister smile.

' **And there it is. The greatest difference between my kind and you flesh and blood mongrels,'** He thought to himself as he slithered away from Alyssa's charging attacks. ' **No matter how much inner magic you possess, eventually, it leaves you, it fades away, it abandons you. I, however…'**

Within Silas, a brilliant purple jewel pulsated with strange energy, almost like a heartbeat. Outside, Silas raised his right arm back as it morphed into a large spike and began to spin rapidly.

" _ **Shadow Drill!"**_ The demon shouted as his arm elongated and launched. Alyssa side-stepped the approaching appendage, but it quickly turned around and sliced her left hip as she dodged.

' **I am Etherious! Living magic given thought and form! I do not tire! I do not age! And I never run out of power! And when your magic has left you and your stamina has been drained, I will snuff out your life in an instant!'**

_**Hidalgo and Nullpudding…** _

Blinded, Nullpudding wildly swung his massive arms in a vain attempt to hit Hidalgo. However, the green-haired wizard actually managed to keep his cool and do what he did best.

"Wow! Your aim sucks!" Hidalgo mockingly proclaimed as he leaped out of the way of another spiky haymaker. "I wonder why? Oh, ya! I blinded you like the ignoramus you are!"

"SHUT UP!" His opponent shouted before slamming his fists down and cracking the earth beneath, Hidalgo evading again.

"You must really be overcompensating for something with those big clumsy arms." He continued to taunt his foe, dodging attacks that destroyed more of the ground around them. But soon enough, Nullpudding's eyesight began to return, and he saw Hidalgo now had his back against a row of cacti. Seeing this made him smirk before he raised his arms into the air.

" _Double Spike Shower!"_ The sword-sized needles blasted from his arms and into the air. Hidalgo saw this and began to run to the left, but was forced to stop as several of the large needles embedded themselves in the ground and cut him off. He turned to the right to see that another row of needles blocked his path like prison bars. He looked behind him and saw the row of cacti, and realized that Nullpudding had boxed him in.

"Who's clumsy now?" The purple-skinned man taunted as he approached Hidalgo, stepping over the cracks caused by their battle. "You try to leap away from my next attack, and you'll either be impaled by my spikes or the cactus needles. Either way, you're screwed."

But instead of being terrified by this, Hidalgo's smirk remained. "Yeah, it looks like you've got me cornered, Butt Face. But you missed out on one detail."

Nullpudding raised an eyebrow. "What the hell are you talking about?"

The green-haired wizard pointed over his shoulder and said "The size of my Fighting Spirit."

Confused by this statement, Nullpudding looked over Hidalgo's shoulder and his eyes widened when he saw that Golden Boy had shrunken down to the size of a toddler. But before he could say a word, his green-haired opponent struck a pose and chanted, " _Golden Net!"_

Suddenly, tendrils of liquid gold shot out from the cracks in the ground and quickly wrapped themselves around Nullpudding. The Needle Wizard struggling in vain as the liquid metal began to solidify.

"Now, you're probably thinking, 'How the hell did he do that?!'" Hidalgo said to his trapped foe. "Simple; One of Golden Boy's abilities is to shoot out part of its body at the cost of its overall mass. And since all of those pieces are part of Golden Boy, I have complete control over them. So while you were trying to smash me, I sent those pieces into the cracks you made."

The green-haired man then started to walk towards his opponent, the now infant-sized Fighting Spirit right behind him. "Now before I kick your ass, let me just say this; that shade of purple does actually work for you. But you really should grow some thicker skin."

Nullpudding stared at Hidalgo, bewildered before saying "Um...thanks?"

"No problem," Hidalgo said with a sly grin as he held out his right hand. Golden Boy's tiny body wrapped around the hand, forming a gauntlet that the shone as brilliantly as the sun.

" _Shining Gold Knuckle!"_ He shouted before socking Nullpudding across the face, knocking him out. Golden Boy changed back to his humanoid form, absorbing its split-off pieces. The sigils on their bodies began to glow, and in a flash of light, the two wizards reappeared in the Badlands.

"Hidalgo!" Claudia said in shock, with Steve still chained up next to her. "What the hell happened?"

"Well, I was forced to fight this lug in some kind of cactus dimension," The green-haired man explained as he looked over the unconscious man and saw his guild mark. "Recognize it?"

"Ya. That's Raven Tail," Claudia explained, thinking back to how after she had begun traveling, she had been approached by a cloaked woman who had that same symbol on her neck. She had heard of Claudia's confrontation with Morningstar on Galuna Island and offered her a chance at revenge. Naturally, the Iron Hammer blew her off and that was the last she heard of Raven Tail, until now. "Apparently they've got some kind of blood feud with Fairy Tail."

"Of course they do," Hidalgo said with an eye-roll.

_**Natsu and Kurohebi…** _

The battle between Mimic and the Dragon Slayer had reached a stalemate. Neither of them could hurt the other with their fire, and while Natsu had more experience with it, Kurohebi's ability to create new spells (read as 'pull spells out of his ass') kept throwing fire wizard off balance.

" _Fire Dragon's Tail Swipe!"_ The snake-eyed man shouted, an arc of fire bursting from a leg sweep that Natsu narrowly avoided.

'This is getting me nowhere!' Natsu thought as he landed.

Kurohebi watched Natsu with intelligent and bloodthirsty eyes, waiting for him to move before striking him down. Then, Natsu did something that caught Kurohebi completely off guard… he closed his eye and became very still.

Since unlocking his Second Origin, Natsu had discovered that in order to bring out his Beast Aura Magic, he needed to clear his mind focus intently on his Inner Beast. While this left him vulnerable to attack, it was his best option as his First Origin was proving useless.

For the next few seconds, Kurohebi could only stand in shock as his opponent acted completely out of character. 'What the hell is going on?' the mimic thought. He forced himself out of his shocked state and rushed at the fire wizard, a hand covered in flame.

As Kurohebi approached, the Natsu found his Inner Beast, it roared within him. He opened his eyes as the Mimic prepared to strike, his flames turning from azure to red and crimson aura surrounded his hands.

" _Beast Aura: Dragon Claws!"_ Natsu shouted as the aura took shape as a pair of dragon claws. He socked a stunned Kurohebi across the face, sending him flying into and then through a nearby wall.

'W-What the hell was that?!' Kurohebi thought to himself, trying to push past the pain of smashing through a wall. 'That wasn't Dragon-Slayer Magic!"

The black-haired man stood up and saw the crimson aura began to envelop Natsu's leg. He realized he had no idea what this magic was, and thus, couldn't copy it, Mimicry Magic's greatest weakness come to bite him in the ass. Passing back through the him-sized hole in the wall, Kurohebi quickly formulated a plan. He couldn't harm Natsu with Fire Dragon-Slayer Magic, so his best option was to bring the surrounding walls down on him.

" _The flames in my right hand and the flames in my left! Put the two together and this is what you get!"_ Kurohebi chanted as a barely contained azure fireball formed between his hands. " _Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!"_

The snake-eyed man launched the fireball towards the ceiling. The spell blew the ceiling apart, slags of debris falling to crush Natsu. The Dragon-Slayer roared and kicked upwards, creating a spiraling disk of crimson energy that sliced a large piece of rubble in half.

The salmon-haired man then rushed towards Kurohebi, weaving and evading pieces of the falling ceiling. Before the snake-eyed man had a chance to retort, Natsu socked Kurohebi in the gut with his claw, the mimic's skin burning from the aura's heat.

'Oh, shit! My time's up!' Kurohebi thought to himself as he started to yell in pain from the burns. Something Natsu caught, giving a savage grin before sucking in a large amount of air.

" _Fire Dragon's Roar!"_ He shouted, unleashing a torrent of crimson fire that consumed Kurohebi. The massive spell blasted him through several walls, knocking him unconscious. With a participant defeated, the sigils on their bodies glowed and two were teleported back to the Badlands.

Before Natsu could process what had just happened, he heard someone shouting at him.

"Hey, you!" Hidalgo shouted, grabbing Natsu by his scarf before the Dragon-Slayer had a chance to breathe.

"Hey, what the-" Natsu barely got a chance to speak before Hidalgo socked him in the face. "The F*&K?!"

"Sorry," Hidalgo said, letting go of Natsu. "Just needed to vent out some frustration." The Shine Wizard replied before Natsu socked in him the gut. But before this could extend to a full-out fist fight, Claudia grabbed their heads and slammed them together.

"Time and place, guys," The silver-haired woman groaned while Steve watched in shock.

'These people are insane,' the marauder thought as he struggled not to wet himself.

Natsu and Hidalgo groaned before getting back up. And as they did, Natsu noticed that Alyssa and the cats were nowhere to be found.

"How long I was gone for?"

"About seven minutes." Claudia answered.

"Something's not right then." The salmon-haired dragon-slayer stated. "Alyssa should've gotten Happy and Jack out by now."

Natsu then started to run towards the citadel, with Hidalgo and Claudia chasing after him.

"Wait, what about the others?" Claudia yelled.

"They were caught in the same magic we were. They just need to beat their opponents to get out." Natsu explained.

"You really think they can," Claudia said, impressed by the Dragon Slayer's confidence.

Natsu just smiled. "I know my friends. They've got this."

And in one of the few times he silently agreed with Natsu, Hidalgo smiled as well. "You're right. These mongrels don't stand a chance against Izumi and Seward."

They ran towards the citadel, not a second to spare, leaving Steve behind with the two unconscious Raven Tail wizards.

"Umm, hello?"

_**Izumi and Flare…** _

Izumi dodged another of Flare's burning spears of hair. The blonde dragon-slayer had attempted to get in close and punch her red-haired opponent, but whatever magic she was using allowed her to move her hair, make it grow without any sort of visible upper limit, and…

" _Water Dragon's Iron Fist!"_ As Izumi soon found out, her foe could also make hair as hard and strong as any shield, which Flare used to block the spell.

"What's the matter, blondie?" Flare asked, a crazed smile on her face as her hair began to wrap around Izumi's arm. "I thought dragon-slayers were supposed to be strong!"

Acting quickly, Izumi launched a Water Dragon's Roar to propel herself away, saving herself from an impromptu amputation. And as she landed, she began panting and realized something terrible; she was becoming dehydrated, and that would start to affect her magic.

Deftly evading Flair's hair tendrils, Izumi reached into the inner pocket of her coat and quickly pulled out a water bottle. She drank it, and a blue aura soon surrounded her body.

'That should give me another few minutes.' Izumi thought to herself before roaring and creating a vortex of water around herself.

"You want strong?! Well, you got it!" The blonde dragon-slayer shouted before charging at Flare, the vortex of water following behind her.

_**Zeke and Ridley…** _

The brunette archer continued to chase the bespectacled wizard through the casino.

" _Arch Shot: Arrow Rain!"_ Zeke shouted as he unleashed a torrent of arrows. Ridley quickly turned around, her left eye flashing once again. And much to Zeke's shock, Ridley almost danced as she evaded the arrows, not a single one hitting her and blowing holes in the wall instead. She saw Zeke's look of confusion and laughed before breaking into a run, the brown-haired man chasing after her.

Soon enough, they reached a hall with several large billiard balls hanging from the ceiling, along with several pool tables around them. Ridley took a quick look around and smirked even harder before pulling out her pistol. At first, Zeke assumed she was going to turn around and shoot him, mentally preparing to summon Emerald Aegis again.

However, Ridley just aimed at a nearby pool table's metal railing and fired, her left eye glowing once again. The bullet then bounced off the railing and shot upward, tearing through the rope that held one of the large billiard balls by the ceiling. Specifically the eight ball right above Zeke.

The brunette only had seconds to react before the massive ball crushed him, and subconsciously summoned Emerald Aegis. But instead of conjuring up a barrier…

" _ **DUO!"**_

...the stone-skinned Fighting Spirit punched upward, smashing its right fist into the massive eight ball. In seconds, cracks spread all over the eight ball until it finally shattered into the pieces, to the shock of both Zeke and Ridley.

_**Alexander and Oroboros…** _

Sparks flew as Alexander and Shé's blades one-eyed Celestial Wizard pushed the former Snake Spirit back and Hǔ leaped at her from behind.

" _Tiger Claw Strike!"_ The brutish tiger shouted, his claws glowing with magical energy. Shé quickly evaded the attack and sliced her fellow celestial spirit across the stomach. Not deep enough to critically wound Hǔ, but just enough to allow her blade's poison to course through his body.

Alexander quickly pulled out his flintlock and fired at Shé, but the purple-haired woman blocked the shots with her sword. Hǔ attempted to attack her once more, but the poison was starting to slow him down.

"Just stop this, Hǔ," Shé said, her face unchanging as a porcelain mask. "Even now, my poison dulls your senses and slows your body. Return to the Celestial World, the energy will heal you."

Hǔ roared and charged at her, his claws striking against Oroboros' sword.

"So be it," The snake spirit stated before quickly slashing Hu with her sword vertically, his body being sliced in two. Thankfully, as a Celestial Spirit, instead of killing him, Hǔ's body glowed before dissolving into balls of light as returned to the Celestial World.

"Hǔ!" Alexander cried out as the tiger spirit vanished, a look of regret etched into his face. Enraged, the blue-haired wizard quickly reached into his coat and grabbed Shǔ's key, only for Shé to rush forward and snatch it out of his hands. This continued as Alexander went for Hóuzi, Gōngjī, and Lóng's keys.

"Pathetic," Shé said, her voice cold as ice and sharp as her blade, as she dropped the keys into the water around them. Alexander then swung his cutlass, only for his purple-haired foe to knock the blade out of his hands. As Shé prepared to swing her blade again, to Alexander, time seemed to slow down. The arc of Shé's sword was aiming right for his neck. A single glance at his foe's eyes told him that she was going for the kill, that was she the predator and he was her prey.

In an instance, Alexander's entire life flashed before his eyes. Images of Grandeeney, Wendy, Marianne, his crew, his team, and finally Mirajane played in his head. At the same time, small red sparks began to jump around his body.

'NO! I'M NOT DYING TODAY!' He mentally shouted just as the blade was a hair's breadth from his neck. A burst of red lightning knocked Shé's sword back as more and more red lightning began to shoot out of Alexander's body. The one-eyed wizard was shocked, paralyzed by what had just happened, before remembering his Spirit Keys are unattended and dashed for them.

Shé charged at the running Alexander from the side and the blue-eyed wizard pulled out his flintlock. The snake-eyed woman used her sword to knock the firearm out his hand, but suddenly, a chain made of the red lightning shot out of Alexander's left hand and pulled the flintlock back into it. Taking advantage of his foes confusion, Alexander fired a round into her arm and fished his keys out of the water.

"Round 2, Snake Lady!" The blue-eyed pirate proclaimed as the red electric chains appeared and wrapped around his cutlass, pulling it back to him while Shé glared at her foe.

_**Hoshi and Erigor…** _

As the wind started to die down, Erigor chuckled to himself, even though he couldn't see his opponent through the debris. 'There's no way she could survive the Ema Rabarum. She's probably been ripped to shreds.'

But his jovial attitude was gone as the dust cleared and he saw his burgundy-haired foe safe inside a barrier.

" _Requip: Thunderbolt!"_ Hoshi chanted, switching out her staves and firing a blast of lightning at Erigor. The wind wizard was then forced to evade a barrage of lighting until he managed to conjure his Storm Mail armor around him.

"You're really starting to piss me off!  _Storm Slicer!"_ Erigor shouted as he launched blades of wind at his opponent, forcing Hoshi to weave in between the rocks.

'It's times like these when I wished Gravity Staves weren't so expensive,' Hoshi thought to herself as she requiped a new staff.

" _Requip: Frost!"_ The new staff Hoshi summoned as a light blue staff topped with a dark blue snowflake-shaped jewel. She aimed her staff at the airborne Erigor and fired a blast of ice. However, Erigor merely pushed his arm forward, his Storm Mail armor tearing apart the ice spell.

"You're gonna have to try harder than that if you want to get past my Storm Mail armor!" The former master of Eisenwald proclaimed before he held his arms out and launched wild winds that threatened to blow his foe away.

_**Seward and Alexei…** _

No matter how many clones Seward destroyed, more and more Alexeis appeared to take their place. He was getting really tired of this endless wave of doubles.

'If I take out the real caster, that should break the spell.' The portly wizard saint thought as he used a spell from his Wind Tome to knock back a couple of doubles. He knew that he couldn't pinpoint the original, so this called for a widespread solution.

" _Requip: Ruinations Brought Forth!"_ He chanted, summoned the purple tome and began to rapidly flip through the page.

" _The blade of the reaper swings down! The curtains must give way to end of all! Chapter 87: Calamity!"_

A violent cascade of purple magic burst forth from Seward, consuming all of the Alexeis in a whirlwind of destruction. When the light cleared, all that remained were the steps of the coliseum and the scorched battlegrounds. For a brief moment, Seward believed that he had won...until more Alexeis began to rise from the ground. One of them even emerged behind Seward and stabbed him through the chest. But instead for yelling out in pain, the bespectacled wizard saint began to chuckle.

" _And just what is so amusing?"_

"All illusion magic has one weakness; it relies on the target being completely fooled by it." Seward stated. And in that instant, the army of Alexei's shattered like glass and his wounds disappeared. And as they did, Seward turned and saw the original Alexei, sitting three feet from the crater of his first attack. The armored figure was silent for a moment, his body language unreadable to even Seward's keen eyes before he chuckled and began to clap.

" _Bravo, Mr. Voltaire. You managed to see through my illusion."_

"I'll admit that the physical pain threw me off a bit, but I remembered that some magics allow the caster to control the sensation of pain as well," The bespectacled wizard saint explained. "If your double was real, I should've been killed instantly when it ran me through the chest."

In response, the armored man began to chuckle as well. " _You are a remarkable fellow,"_ Alexei deathly still as he seemed to gaze into Seward's very soul." _Well, at least this version of you is."_

Before Seward could respond to his opponent's strange statement, Alexei stood up and held out his arm. With a flick of his wrist, Alexei's arm was consumed in dark purple light that blazed like fire. And with that, Seward knew this battle was far from over.

_**Back with Jack, Happy, and Yaza...** _

As the battles raged on, Yaza continued to watch from his throne. Sure, he was aware of how Natsu and Hidalgo's battles ended, but he figured he would take care of them when the need arose, seemingly unaware of what was happening behind him. You see, while he wasn't looking, Jack had managed to pick the lock of the cage, letting himself and Happy out.

"Alright, let's get out of here." Happy whispered to his fellow cat. However, Jack just scowled at the back of Yaza's head and pulled out one of his bladed tonfas.

"Jack?! What are you doing?!" The blue feline desperately whispered at the yellow-furred cat as he snuck up to the orange-haired man. Jack's mind was blocking out what Happy said.

While he could look past being caged like a common animal in favor of escaping, what he could not, would not forgive was this worm obsessed freak almost killing his friends, his family. One thought dominated Jack's mind. 'Yaza has to die.' He crept up to the seemingly occupied marauder, intent on slitting his throat before getting the hell out this nightmarish desert.

But as Jack prepared to leap in for the kill, Yaza suddenly turned around and stomped down on Jack's head, the small cat coughing up blood as he hit the floor.

"JACK!" Happy screamed as Yaza looked down at the groaning Jack.

"You outlanders really have no sense of honor," The orange-haired man said, his voice and expression void of any emotion. "Tell me, what glory is found in stabbing your opponent in the back?"

Jack's only response was a glare at the tall man.

Yaza's frown only deepened. "Do you know how I gained my kingdom? Before my reign, savagery and betrayal were the only laws of the sand. I grew up watching good men slaughtered by cowards. And I was almost one of them. But then...then I found the worms. They showed me compassion, they showed me honor, and they gave me a purpose. If I couldn't make the sands orderly, I could offer a safe haven for those tired of the backstabbing."

He pressed his foot harder on Jack, the yellow cat cried out in pain while Happy watched in horror. "So I made it law that anyone who betrays an ally or uses underhanded tactics would be fed to the worms. But for you, I'll make an exception. I'll squeeze the life out of you and your fellow feline and show your corpses to your comrades, right before I snuff the life out of them. And then, I'll have your carcasses hung on polls in front of the sands, as a message for those who dare to bring their corruption from outside."

As he said that, Happy's panic rose even further, tears ran down his face. He had seen more than his fair share of villains over the years, but none of them could match the raw, unadulterated madness and bloodlust that Yaza exuded. And when the occasionally more dangerous villain appeared, somebody would be there to beat them and save him.

But no one was there to save him this time. Natsu, Zeke, Alexander, Lucy, and Hoshi were being occupied by Raven Tail. Same for the Titan Five. As for Alyssa, Happy had a sneaking suspicion that the Shadowman left to deal with her or Claudia since they were the only wizards unaccounted for.

Now, it was just him, on his knees and helpless as his fellow feline was being crushed under the madman's boot. Just one look in his eyes told Happy that underneath all the flare and megalomania, he was serious. Yaza was going to kill him.

And the worst part was that Happy knew he could do nothing to Yaza. Even at their strongest, the Lacrima Grenades were only meant for Happy to defend himself from bandits, mindless monsters, and low-tier grunts. But Yaza was on the level of someone like Laxus. Even without merging with a Fang Worm, the orange-haired man's Light-Make Magic and pure physical strength would be more than enough to crush him.

'There's...there's really is nothing I can do,' Happy thought, his mind spiraling into despair as the light began to fade from Jack's eyes, the pain forcing him into unconsciousness. 'No one's going to save us. He...he's gonna kill us. I don't…'

And as the blue cat reached the very depths of despair, he felt something inside him snap. As his body began to shake, green magical energy rose from his body like smoke, catching the attention of Yaza and Jack.

"I DON'T WANNA DIE!" Happy shouted, tears freely flowing before his body was consumed by a pillar of green energy so bright that Jack was forced to close his eyes while Yaza just looked on in curiosity. Within the pillar, Happy's cries of anguish started to change, becoming deeper and deeper, his cries of anguish transforming into cries of rage.

Within seconds, the light faded, and Yaza's eyes widened at what he saw. Standing in Happy's place was a creature that resembled a full-grown lion. A coat as blue as the ocean, with a long, flowing mane of white as snow. And its eyes were blank, pure white and set on Yaza. The beast that was Happy snarled before letting out a powerful roar. A roar that was heard throughout the Tower…

" **What in Father's Name was that?"**

...and outside the Tower.

"A lion?" Natsu said as he, Hidalgo, and Claudia were fighting their way through the Citadel's guards.

Back with Happy and Yaza, the transformed cat was on all fours, growling at Yaza before pouncing, his maw open and ready to bite down. In response, the orange-haired ruler raised his arm, blocking the teeth with his Light-Make Skin. However, the force of the pounce was enough to send the two up in the air and crashing into a nearby wall.

After rolling back up, Yaza stared the feral Happy down, and a savage smile formed on the Worm Rider's face as memories of his youth flashed in his mind.

"Yes! Come at me, beast!" The orange-haired man shouted as his magical energy flowed out of him and the battle continued.

As this was going on, Natsu, Claudia, and Hidalgo had managed to take out a group of guards and were about to investigate that roaring, when suddenly…

"AHHHHH!" They heard a familiar woman's scream.

"Alyssa!" Natsu shouted, instantly recognizing his girlfriend's voice.

"Go to her. We'll find the cats," Hidalgo said. Natsu nodded and left Claudia and Hidalgo to take care of the guards.

The salmon-haired dragon-slayer followed the sounds of Alyssa's cries until he reached the room she and the Shadowman were in. He burst through the walls and saw that the Shadowman had stabbed one of his shadow tendrils into her right shoulder, pinning her against the wall.

" _Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"_ Natsu shouted, slugging the Shadowman with crimson fire and freeing Alyssa from his tendril.

"Natsu." Alyssa weakly said as her boyfriend rushed to her side. "What're you…"

"Things have gone real south." Natsu stated as he quickly ripped off a piece of his jacket and wrapped it around Alyssa's shoulder wound.

" _ **Oh, you don't know the half of it, Salamander,"**_ Silas stated he got back up, crimson fire lingering on his face.

_**Lucy and Obra…** _

It had been almost a minute since the buzzsaws stopped flying. But even so, Lucy and Sagittarius were still on their guard. That was until they heard screaming and saw a terrified Lupus rushing towards them.

"LUCY! HELP!" The wolf girl cried. Before Lucy and Sagittarius could ask her what was wrong, they were greeted by the horrifying sight of Obra, spinning blades and all, chasing after her.

"What manner of monstrosity is that?!" Sagittarius exclaimed before quickly firing a barrage of arrows at the blue-skinned...thing. However, he merely used his drill fingers to deflect and shatter the arrows.

"That's the guy who was throwing the sawblades," Lupus said as she fearfully hid behind Lucy's legs, her body shaking like a leaf. "B-But, he's not human!"

"I think that's fairly obvious." Lucy replied as she held Meteore in front of her.

"N-no! I mean...when I attacked...there was no blood or a-anything!" Lupus said as Lucy swung her snake-sword with the intention of slicing off Obra's right arm. However, the doll quickly turned to look at Lucy's extended blade and Obra quickly evaded. Sagittarius also continued his barrage from the right, which made Obra raise his arm, protecting the imp doll. And it was this made Lucy begin to notice something off; whenever she or Sagittarius would attack Obra's right side in a way that would harm the doll on his shoulder, Obra would do whatever he could to protect it.

And that, combined with Lupus' previous statement, made Lucy realize something.

"Lupus, I'm going charge the blue weirdo. When that happens, I want you to grab that doll thing on his shoulder," She whispered to the small wolf girl. Lucy saw Lupus' confused expression before giving her a reassuring smile. Seeing that, Lupus nodded before Lucy charged at Obra, swinging Meteore as she did. The blue-skinned monstrosity grabbed the blade with his left hand, sparks flying as his drill fingers collided with it.

"Now!" Lucy shouted and Lupus at the wooden doll, grabbing it and forcing it off Obra's shoulder. As she did so, several thin blue strings of magic energy connecting the doll and Obra became visible before snapping. And as Lupus slammed the doll to the ground, Obra's eyes went completely blank and his arms fell to the sides before he fell over, lifeless.

" _Unhand me, ya wanker!"_ The wooden doll cried out in vain, surprising Lupus and Sagittarius.

"So my guess was right," Lucy said as she examined 'Obra.' "This was just a battle puppet. And the one pulling the strings was...actually I have no idea who you are. Or what you are really."

" _I wouldn't expect you Fairy Tail arseholes to know what a wood imp is! Considerin' you slaughtered my kind!"_ The doll-sized creature proclaimed, making Lucy and her spirit's eyes widen in shock, something that the real Obra noticed. " _I heard you were a new recruit. Guess your master never told you about that."_

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Lucy shouted, her mind reeling from the imp's accusations.

" _Your precious Fairy Tail ain't the heroic guild ya think it is! In fact, folks like me have another name for you lot; the Crown's Executioners."_

But before he could say anything else, Lupus kicked him into a nearby tree, knocking him unconscious.

"Lupus?!" Lucy asked.

"Sorry! But he was freaking me out!" The silver-haired girl shouted as the four of them were soon consumed by a blue glow. In the other battlefields, the other wizards were consumed by the same glow. And in a flash of light, everyone found themselves back in the Badlands.

As this was going on, Silas was using his shadow tendrils to keep Natsu and Alyssa on the defensive. He had taken damage from their attacks, as evidenced by the red flames still burning away at his coat and the remains of purple Soul Armor energy within his the plume that was his face.

' _ **Just my luck. I end up fighting two humans whose magic can actually hurt me! No matter. I just need to tire them out before…'**_

However, his train of thought was interrupted as he sensed a pulse of magic, signaling that Obra's Zone Magic had been disrupted. This irritated him for a moment before he realized something that made him smirk. And much to the confusion of Natsu and Alyssa, he transformed back into his human-like appearance.

" **Congratulations, fairies. You get to live today! As it just so happens, a prime opportunity has landed in my lap."** Silas stated before snapping his fingers, creating a shadow portal behind him. " **So as much I'd like nothing more than to rip out your skulls through your ears, I've got things do, plans to enact, people to eat. You know how it is."**

"You're not getting awa-" Natsu began to say before Alyssa charged ahead.

"NO YOU DON'T YOU MOTHERF*(KER!" The orange-haired woman yelled with more anger that Natsu had ever seen before. But before Alyssa could land her next Empress Knuckle, Silas disappeared through his portal, a smirk on his face. Alyssa's armored fist passed over where the portal had been moments before and smashed through a wall.

"COME BACK HERE, YOU GODDAMN MONSTER!" Alyssa shouted with tears in her eyes before letting out a loud yell.

"Alyssa!" Natsu said, quickly putting his hand on her shoulder. "What's wrong with you?"

In response, Alyssa turned to face Natsu. And much to his shock, her anger had been replaced by sorrow he hadn't seen in years. The quivering lips. The endless stream of tears. It all reminded Natsu of the night Alyssa told him and Zeke about her past. In particular, the worst night of her life. In seconds, Natsu started to piece together who the man they were fighting was, and why Alyssa was having such a strong reaction.

And so, the salmon-haired dragon-slayer wrapped his claws around his love, her tears beginning to stain his jacket.

"It's okay." Natsu whispered. And upon hearing that, Alyssa let loose her sorrow and anger, embracing the dragon-slayer.

_**Back outside the Citadel...** _

"What the...who the...what the f&^k just happened?!" Erigor shouted as everyone got their bearings. Flare, however, got a scared and crazed look in her eyes when she saw the small Obra unconscious.

"Obra!" The redhead shouted in concern before remembering who his opponent was. And when she saw Lucy's hair and guild mark, memories of a laughing blonde woman with that same mark flashed in mind, sending her into a violent rage. "HOW DARE YOU HURT MY OBRA, BLONDIE!"

Responding to her rage, Flare's hair grew and transformed into drills that shot ahead at Lucy.

" _Reflect!"_ Hoshi quickly summoned her protective staff and conjured a barrier around Lucy that deflect the hair drills.

"We're not done yet, fly!" Erigor shouted before unleashing a Storm Slicer that forced Hoshi and anyone near her to dodge.

"Just great." A panting and slightly burnt Izumi thought, ready to attack but not noticing Oroboros running at her from behind, only to be halted by a barrage of green arrows.

"Well, well, well. Just my luck." Zeke said with a look that read, 'I am so done with today.' "Of course you had to be part of Raven Tail."

"And just who are you again?" Oroboros asked, much to Zeke's shock and annoyance if the scowl on his face was anything to go by.

"How do you not remember me?!" the archer yelled. "You stabbed and poisoned me!"

"I've done that to countless beings. You'll have to be more specific." The uncaring Oroboros stated before having to block and a sword swing from Alexander, who still had red lightning blasting out of him.

"Forget about me?!" The one-eyed man shouted as the lightning traveled from his sword to Oroboros', forcing the snake-eyed woman to jump back as she felt her arms beginning to go numb.

" **Sorry fellas, but she's taken,"** Silas proclaimed as he stepped out of a portal from behind Oroboros and placed on hand on her shoulder.

"Fantastic, Silas!" Erigor said with glee. "Now with you here, we can paint this dessert with the blood of these so-called legal wizards!"

" **Actually, there's been a change of plans,"** Silas said with a fitting demonic smirk. " **You incompetent lot can have your little grudge match. Me and Oro have somewhere else to be."**

"WHAT?!"

After a second of hesitation, Oroboros sheathed her sword and turned to walk into the portal. And with a tip of the hat, Silas closed the portal, leaving the Fairy Tail, Raven Tail, and Titan Nose wizards in the desert.

"Well...that just happened." Ridley stated. And just as she said that an upper wall of the citadel exploded as two figures landed in the desert, creating a cloud of smoke from the impact.

"Oh, come on!" Zeke shouted. And in a matter of seconds, the bestial Happy emerged from the smoke, growling wildly with blood covered claws. He then looked ahead and saw the humans, growling at his next prey. In a burst of uncontrolled magic, two massive wings emerged from his back, and he launched ahead at Ridley faster than she could use her magic. However, Alexei leaped in front of the bespectacled wizard just as Happy swung his claws down, shattering the upper left side of his helmet, revealing dark orange hair. Quickly, he held his hand out at the feral beast.

" _HEEYAH!"_ He yelled, blasting the lion creature back with a pulse of dark energy before turning towards Erigor. " _We're leaving."_

"But…" Erigor started to say before he saw Alexei's uncovered eye, piercing his soul. At that moment, Erigor knew whatever argument he had died out. "F-Fine.  _Storm Carry!"_

In an instant, Alexei, Flare, Ridley, Obra, and the unconscious Nullpudding and Kurohebi were consumed in miniature tornadoes that kept the other wizards away from them before they took off into the distance.

"Are we just going to let them get away?" Izumi asked.

"I think we got other things to worry about." Seward said as Happy got back up and pounced on Sagittarius, biting into his throat and causing the horse spirit to yell in pain.

"Sagittarius!" Lucy shouted as Sagittarius began to disappear.

"It seems my time is up, Miss Lucy." The horse spirit said before finally vanishing. "Toodle-loo."

With this prey now gone, Happy turned to face Zeke and leaped at him…

" _ **DUO!"**_

...only for the brunette to quickly summon Emerald Aegis. The fighting spirit grabbed the blue  & white lion and slammed him into the sand. The feral beast continued to struggle as Aegis held him down by his mane.

"Is it just me, or is there something familiar about this beast?" Alexander asked as Zeke took a closer look at the beast. And when he did, his eyes widened in shock as he saw the green Fairy Tail mark on its back. Combined with the beast's fur color and wings, it was pretty easy for him to put two and two together.

"Guys, I think this is Happy." Zeke stated. Lucy, Hoshi, and Alexander also pieced it together and were naturally stunned and confused at their friends' new appearance.

"Happy? Is that really you?" Lucy asked, only for the blue lion to roar at her, causing her to jump back in fear.

"This beast is that annoying kitty?" Lupus asked.

"He's gone feral." Izumi stated. "Jack went through something similar when he first transformed."

"How do we snap him out of it?" Hoshi asked.

"He has to bring himself out of it." Everyone turned and saw Jack walking towards them with Hidalgo and Claudia next to him. "He awakened this transformation in a moment of fear. All we can do is try to bring him into a calmer state of mind."

"What does he find comforting?" Seward asked.

"Unless anyone has fish on them…" Zeke began to say as Happy managed to break away from Aegis' grip. Everyone took a step back from Happy, avoiding his pounces without attacking him.

"Easy, Happy," Zeke said, dismissing Aegis and his bow to show his feline friend he meant no harm. "We're not gonna hurt you. Just calm down."

The growling lion looked over the humans, who were quick to dismiss or put down their weapons. At first, that seemed to be calming him down. However…

"What's going on?!"

Everyone turned and saw Natsu & Alyssa walking towards them. And when Happy saw Alyssa's orange hair, his mind thought of Yaza, reawakening his rage. With a loud roar, he leaped at the two, but Natsu intercepted him and held the Exceed back. Happy bit into his left shoulder as Natus held back his claws.

"NATSU!" Alyssa, Zeke, Lucy, Alexander, and Hoshi cried out in concern while the Titan Five looked on in shock. Happy began to bite down harder, causing blood to flow down from his father-figure's shoulder. However, Natsu did not yell in pain. Instead, he grit his teeth and placed his right hand on the blue lion's mane. He then began to rub the mane with slow strokes.

"I-it's okay, little buddy. Everything's gonna be alright." Natsu whispered out. Earlier, after Alyssa had calmed down and they began to follow Happy's scent, the salmon-haired dragon-slayer heard the earlier conversation with his advanced hearing. As such, he heard about Happy needing to calm down and bring himself out of his rage.

And to almost everyone's surprise, Natsu began to hum an unfamiliar tune. Or at least unfamiliar to everyone except Alyssa. She recognized this tune was the same one Natsu used to calm down Happy when he was a kitten. When they first started going on missions, Happy was often terrified by the monsters they encountered and would often have nightmares about them. However, Natsu had figured out that stroking Happy's head and humming a soft tune would help the kitten sleep.

And the same was true now. As Natsu continued to hum, Happy's movements became less feral and savage, and his eyes began to change from pure white to black iris'. The large lion then removed his maw from Natsu's shoulder and spat out the blood.

"N-Natsu?" Happy asked, his voice far deeper than before. With a smile on his face and a hand covering his wounds, Natsu looked at his adoptive son without a hint of resentment or fear.

"Good to have you back, buddy."

"What's going on?! Why are you so small? Where did this blood come from?"

For the next few minutes, everyone got Happy up to speed while Hoshi (requipping a medical kit) tended to everyone's wounds.

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I think I've had enough of this dessert." Zeke stated and started to walk away. The others soon began to follow suit, unaware that Yaza had awoken from his Happy-induced coma and saw that his foes were walking away. He was not about to let the invaders of his kingdom leave. As such he plunged his arm into the ground, his magic flowing through the sand until it reached the sleeping fang worm underneath.

" _Great beasts that rule this land! Allow us two to defend your sand! GREAT MERGE!"_

Yaza and the Fang Worm were consumed in a pillar of orange light, getting the attention of the other wizards.

"Oh, yes," Seward stated. "I almost forgot the sociopathic worm king."

"Goddamnit." Zeke said as he rubbed his eyes and the light faded and Yaza's giant lamia-like Fang Worm form stared them down.

" **THERE IS NO EXISTENCE WHERE YOU CAN RUN! THERE IS NO EXISTENCE WHERE YOU CAN HIDE! ALL THAT I AM, ALL THAT I WILL EVER BE WILL HUNT YOU! AND IF YOU CEASE TO EXIST BEFORE I KILL YOU, I WILL RECREATE YOU FROM THE GRAVE SO THAT I CAN DESTROY YOU! YOUR ASSES ARE MINE!"**

And as Yaza made that declaration, the sun finally began to set on the Badlands, turning the day into night. However, for the gathered members of Morningstar and the Titan Five, the day was far from over.

_To be continued…_


	14. Awaken, Blazing Aegis!

_Chapter 14: Awaken, Blazing Aegis!_

_**Ten years ago…** _

_Ezekiel sighed as he looked around at the rowdy wizards that filled Fairy Tail's Guild Hall, the sounds of raucous laughter and fighting grating on his ears like nails on a chalkboard._

' _This is stupid,' he thought to himself as tried in vain to block out the noise and read his book. 'I'm not going to make any friends here anyway, so why can't I just stay home?' All Ezekiel wanted to do was stay home, study up on the history of magical application, and practice his Arch Shot with the training bow his mom gave him. His parents, however, insisted on dragging him to guild hall every day so he could try and make friends with the children around his age._

_But there was a problem. It became very clear, very quickly, that Ezekiel was far smarter and more mature than many of his peers, making socialization nearly impossible._

_The only kids he could even hold a conversation with were Levy (who he totally didn't have a crush on) and Elfman (which would more often than not lead him running into Mirajane, leading to a whole lot of name-calling and his books begin wrecked.) Everyone else was a mixed bag. Whenever he started talking about anything he found interesting, they would either call him a nerd (Mirajane,) just pretend that they understood what he was saying and nod their heads (Cana and Erza,) or walk away because they didn't care (Gray.)_

_After trying to make friends again and again, and failing every time, young Ezekiel had taken to quietly reading at a corner table, content with being alone with his thoughts (when he could actually block out the noise.)_

_It had looked like it was going to be another boring day for Zeke as tried to read his book and counted the hours until his parents would take him home. But then something interesting happened._

_Late in the afternoon, he saw Master Makarov walking in with a pink-haired boy wearing a long, white scarf who looked to be around his age. Zeke didn't recognize him and deduced that he must be a prospective member since none of the adults seemed to recognize him either. He couldn't hear what Makarov was saying to the new boy, but honestly didn't care about their conversation, so Zeke simply went back to reading his book._

_Not even an hour later, Zeke's attention drawn by the sound of a fight, and he saw that the pink-haired kid had gotten into a brawl with Gray...who was naturally down to just his boxers like the stripper he was._

" _YOU TAKE THAT BACK, YOU DUMMY!" The pink-haired boy shouted as he socked Gray in the jaw._

" _WHO ARE YOU CALLIN' A DUMMY, YOU MORON?!" Gray shouted back before headbutting the kid._

_Realizing that he wasn't going to get any reading done, Zeke decided to figure out why Gray was picking a fight with the new kid and approached Elfman._

" _What's going on?" The bespectacled brunette asked._

" _I don't know. Gray said something that got the new kid pretty angry." The silver-haired boy said._

" _Oh, I can tell you." Zeke shivered in fear at the sound of a familiar sharp and taunting voice. He turned around and saw Mirajane sitting cross-legged on a nearby table with her usual smirk plastered on her face."That pink dummy, I think he's called Nabu or something, said that his dad was a dragon. Gray called him a liar and pinky threw a fit and then a fist." Mirajane began cackling as Gray put the new kid in a headlock which he quickly escaped._

' _A dragon?' Zeke thought to himself before looking back at the fight. Gray used some of his Ice-Make magic to push the scarf-wearing boy next a table that had a lit lantern on it. The boy got an animalistic smirk on his face before grabbing the lantern._

" _Oh, you're gonna get it now, Popsicle Head!" He said before opening up both the lantern and his mouth. And to the astonishment of everyone, the fire was sucked into the boy's mouth, followed by a loud burp and a grin on his face. The pink haired boy licked his lips as if he'd just had a great meal._

' _D-Did he just eat fire?!' Zeke thought in shock. He had heard of mages who could control or shoot fire (Macao being a prime example,) but had never heard of someone who could eat fire. While everyone else was frozen in shock, the pink-haired boy took a breath as an orange magic circle appeared before him._

" _Fire Dragon's Roar!" He chanted before unleashing a torrent of fire at Gray, who was forced to jump away as the table behind him was burnt to a crisp._

" _Why you!" Gray shouted before he brought his hands together and began to channel his Ice-Make Magic while his opponent's hands ignited with brilliant fire._

" _Natsu! Gray! That's enough!" Everyone turned to see Makarov walking down the stairs with a disappointed scowl on his face._

" _But Gramps!" the pink haired boy yelled in indignation. "He said dragons don't exist!"_

" _That's 'cause they don't you butthole!" Gray snapped back._

_Natsu grit his teeth before yelling "Who're you calling a butthole, butthole!" Natsu charged at Gray with a blazing fist and Gray faced him head-on with a hammer made of ice._

_Before either could register what had happened, they both ran head first into what felt like a brick wall. When they looked up, the wall turned out to be Makarov's hand, which had grown to the size of a large dining table._

_The boys nervously looked up at Makarov as they disengaged their magics, and his hand returned to it's normal size. Natsu and Gray shook as Makarov's gaze seemed to pierce their souls. He then let out an exasperated sigh and let his shoulders drop._

" _Listen, Natsu," Makarov said, his voice kind yet stern, his gaze unwavering as looked the young mage in the eye. "You're a member of Fairy Tail now, and in this guild, we treat each other like family. Understand?"_

_Natsu could barely meet Makarov's gaze, a pout on his face. "Yes, Gramps," he finally mumbled out._

" _Good. And Gray, I expect the same from you."_

" _Yes, Master," Gray said, a defeated look on his face. And with their fight over, everyone went back to their usual business._

_All expect an intrigued Zeke._

_Later on, Natsu had sat down at a table and was eating a cooked turkey he had ordered from the bar, trying to put the young ice mage and what he'd said out of his mind. He was so engrossed in his meal, he didn't notice someone approach his table._

" _Hello."_

_With a mouthful of food, the pink-haired boy turned and saw Zeke. The first thing that popped into his head was 'What's with those goofy-looking glasses?'_

" _I'm Zeke. And was I wondering if I could ask you some questions."_

" _Hmh." He said with a mouthful of food. He swallowed and repeat himself. "Huh?"_

" _So, were you really raised by a dragon?" Zeke asked._

" _Um...ya," Natsu said with a disinterested tone. He had gotten used to people calling him a liar or just a kid with an overactive imagination, so he was expecting this Zack guy to be the same._

" _That's...SO COOL!" Zeke shouted, completely taking Natsu by surprise. "Do they really breath different elements? How long are their wingspans? Can they talk?"_

" _Woah, woah, slow down!" Natsu said in an attempt to calm this stranger. "Um...Zack?"_

" _Zeke." The bespectacled boy corrected._

" _You really believe me?" The scarf-wearing boy asked._

" _Well...I can't think of any reason why you'd lie about that. And I've never heard of fire magic that lets you eat fire." The brunette boy explained._

_Natsu could only stare the other boy in shock. Ever since he'd been forced to fend for himself upon Igneel's disappearance, every person he'd told about the dragon had laughed at his face and called him a liar. To have someone approach him, and tell him that they believe his story was almost overwhelming. For a moment, Natsu wanted to push him away, confident that the brunette boy was playing some sort of trick on him, but when Natsu looked into his eyes, he found no trace any malice or mischief, only kindness and curiosity. Igneel had always told his son to trust his instincts, so that's what he did._

_Natsu, with a smile on his face that hadn't had since before Igneel disappeared, told Zeke anything and everything he knew about dragons. And while neither of the boys knew it at the time, this one conversation was the foundation of a lifelong friendship._

_**Now…** _

"BALLS!" Zeke shouted as he forced to evade a giant Light-Make Tomahawk. He launched a barrage of arrows, joined by Izumi's Water Dragon's Roar, Hoshi's Firebolt attack, and Hidalgo's Gold Rush to strike the giant Yaza from afar.

" _Open, Gate of the Lion - Leo!"_ Lucy chanted and summoned the orange-haired spirit. He opened his eyes and saw Alyssa and Natsu run/blast up to punch Yaza in the face before turning to Lucy.

"Not that I don't appreciate you summoning me, Lucy, but it would be nice if wasn't to fight a giant monster," He said before putting on his 'charming' face and grabbing Lucy's hand as if to kiss it. "Perhaps I can treat you to dinner after this battle is over."

'Oh, crap. I knew I was forgetting something.' Lucy thought to herself. "Um, Loki, I'm already seeing someone."

"WHAT?!" The playboy spirit shouted in shock. "Who is it?! Is it Gray?! Damn that stripper! He already has Cana!"

"TIME AND PLACE, ASSHOLE!" Zeke shouted as he summoned Emerald Aegis to block a Light-Make Cannonball.

"But you've got the right idea." Alexander said as he pulled out Lóng's key from his sleeve. " _Open, Gate of the Red Dragon - Lóng!"_

In a burst of light, the horned woman appeared in front of him.

"This better be important, boy," The snobbish spirit said with a bored expression. Alexander simply pointed at Yaza. Lóng turned and saw Natsu and Alyssa get backhanded away by the giant man-worm abomination. "Oh."

"I figured a battle of this magnitude would be right up your alley, oh great and mighty Lóng." Alexander said with an exaggerated bow and voice full of faux reverence. Lóng ate his performance it up as a toothy smirk appeared on her face and her body began to glow a deep crimson.

"You guessed right, boy." She declared before a large red magic circle appeared over her. The circle descended upon her as her body seemed to turn into pure light and change shape. When Long became corporeal again, she had transformed into a sixty-foot long serpentine dragon with red scales and no wings.

"HOLY CRAP!" Hidalgo screamed (although he'd never admit it) while Lucy, Alexander, and Lupus looked on at the Dragon Spirit with astonishment while Leo glared.

" _ **Now stand back and witness the power of the Red Zodiac!"**_ Lóng said before blasting ahead at Yaza. " _ **Crimson Inferno!"**_

As soon as she was close enough, the red dragon launched a massive crimson fireball at Yaza that knocked him into his Citadel.

"Well, I can't just let a Red show me up," Leo said with the same kind of antagonistic smirk that Natsu and Gray would give each other before punching the shit out of each other.

Leo's body ignited in golden light as he held his arm out and shouted, " _Zenith of Regulus!"_  A gargantuan beam of orange light in the shape of lion burst from his hand. It struck Yaza so hard he nearly toppled over, but he quickly regained his composure.

Lupus gazed at both Leo and Lóng in awe.

'So this is the true power of the Zodiac,' The silver-haired girl thought to herself as she started to fade. She looked at her master with a solemn expression and said "I'm sorry. I have to go, Lucy."

"Don't be," The blonde wizard said with a smile before patting the small girl's head. "You were amazing today."

And with a smile on her face, Lupus went back through her gate to the Celestial World. At the same time, Yaza recovered from the attacks and dove into the sand.

"Everyone, stay on your toes!" Seward ordered as everyone prepared for his next attack. Suddenly, the ground near Zeke, Lucy, and Alexander shook. And while Lucy and Leo were able to leap away, Zeke and Alexander weren't so lucky as Yaza emerged under them and swallowed the two whole.

"ZEKE!" Natsu shouted.

"ALEX!" Lucy screamed while Lóng growled in anger.

" _ **How dare you devour my wizard!"**_ The red dragon shouted before launching another barrage of fireballs.

" _ **LIGHT-MAKE: PULVERIZING LANCE!"**_ Yaza shouted as he conjured a lance construct in his hands. Yaza used his lance like a giant baseball bat and knocked the fireballs away.

"AHHHH!" Zeke shouted as he and Alex fell down the monster man's throat. However, they were both quick with the same idea, the brunette slipping his bow into its twin-blades mode and Alexander brandishing his cutlass. They then both stabbed their blades into the walls of Yaza's throat, stopping their descent.

Outside, Yaza stopped for a brief second as he felt the stabs, gagging a bit until Happy charged in a scratched at his cheek.

"This isn't good," Claudia proclaimed as she launched another Hammer Wave at Yaza, which barely did anything to the giant man-worm.

"Way to state the obvious," Hidalgo said as his brow furrowed. The green-haired man then turned toward Seward. "We may have to use  _that."_

"I know. But…" The portly wizard saint replied as he continued to watch the other wizards attack Yaza. No matter how much magic they threw at the Worm Rider King, nothing seemed to faze him, not so much as a scratch on his skin. The only weak spots they had found so far were his eyes, and he seemed more protective of them than before. He quickly evaded another blade strike from Jack before backhanding him into the sand.

'If we use  _that,_ there's the risk that we'll lose our minds. There has to be some other way. Some option we haven't thought of yet.' Seward thought as sweat dripped from his brow.

" _Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!"_ Natsu shouted as he unleashed twin torrents of crimson fire at Yaza, only for the massive being to conjure a Light-Make Shield with one hand and grab Natsu with the other.

" **I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU!"** The giant man shouted before reeling his arm and tossing Natsu up with such force that it broke the sound barrier.

"NATSU!" Alyssa and Happy shouted as the winged lion attempted to fly after his airborne comrade. However, the speed at which Yaza tossed far exceeded Happy's top speed, even with his larger wingspan.

At the same time, Natsu was attempting to stop his trajectory with bursts of fire, but to no avail. 'This isn't good,' he thought, panicking. 'If I don't stop myself, who the f*ck knows where I'll land, but that's the least of my worries if I even survive the landing.' He tried to use his flames to save himself once, but it was no use. 'Damnit!' Natsu's contorted into a beastly scowl. 'Looks I'm going to have to try something new. Here goes nothing.'

He closed his eyes and focused, trying to call to the beast within him. His body glowed crimson as latched to what he needed, wings. Strong and powerful dragon wings like his father's." _Beast Aura: Dragon Wings!"_ He chanted as crimson energy emerged from his back and took the shape of dragon wings. But in an instant, they shattered. "Damnit! Why?!"

This wasn't the first time this had happened to Natsu. After unlocking his Beast Aura Magic, Natsu had attempted to summon up many other spells. But every time he tried to conjure up anything other than Claws, they would quickly shatter. Natsu had no idea why this was the case, but he guessed that he didn't understand the true inner workings of Beast Aura Magic and could only learn so much by reading about it. And there wasn't really any time to contemplate this as he was still soaring through the air at Mach 1.

But luckily for Natsu, a massive red blur rushed past Happy and towards him. The blur then quickly passed and wrapped around him, stopping his unplanned flight, revealing itself to be Lóng.

" _ **Don't worry, Natsu. Mama's got you."**_ The Dragon Spirit said with a toothy grin.

"Thanks-Wait, what?!" The confused dragon-slayer shouted. "When the hell did you become my mom?!"

" _ **Simple; Igneel's my mate and you're his adopted son. Ergo, you're my adopted son."**_ The female dragon said with a cheeky smile. Natsu blanched at her proclamation. Lóng then looked towards Yaza and saw that everyone was still doing their best to hold the hybrid off. ' _ **This...thing is truly a remarkable creature. Not only does he wield an impressive type of Maker Magic, but his skin is practically invulnerable. Which will make retrieving the boy rather difficult.'**_

Since Lóng had not yet vanished back to the Celestial World, she figured Alexander was still alive. She was right as he and Zeke continued to hang from their blades, occasionally shifting thanks to the battle outside.

"Out of all the things I expected to see on this mission, getting eaten by worm man wasn't one of them." The one-eyed man said as he wiped some blood from his coat with his free hand.

"Would you believe this is actually my second time being eaten alive?" Zeke asked.

"Seriously?"

"It's a long story involving a sea serpent."

"So how did you get out then?"

"Luck, mostly," Zeke explained. "I managed to grab onto its uvula when it swallowed me and triggered its gag reflex."

"But that's probably not gonna work now, is it?"

"Nope. If anything, our best hope would be to cut our way out his throat. It could probably hurt him enough for him to give up (which is highly unlikely) or weaken him enough for us to beat him."

"Sounds like a plan." Alexander said as he pulled out his flintlock and fired into the 'wall'. Blood sprayed out with each shot, but it was followed by the sound of energy dissipating against something hard. With a curious look, Alexander plunged his hand into the hole his blasts had created (almost vomiting in his mouth as he did so) and soon felt a rock-like substance under his hand. "I found the bone!"

After giving it an experimental tap, he pulled his hand out and quickly shook it to get the viscera off. "Feels pretty sturdy, too."

"Actually I'm pretty sure that's cartilage." Zeke said as he removed one of his bow-blades from the 'wall" and began cutting into it. And when he attempted to stab at the cartilage, the blade simply bounced off of it. "But you're right, whatever he did to fuse with this worm strengthened more than his skin. We're going to need something like a drill to get through it."

Alexander looked at his free hand and thought back to his battle Shé. And while there was something nagging at the back of his mind, he instead focused on that strange red lightning he had conjured. Specifically how he made a chain construct out of it. He focused on that feeling once more, and soon enough, red lightning began to shoot around his hand, much to Zeke's shock. And after a few seconds of swirling around, the red lightning took the form of a drill construct around the one-eyed man's hand.

"What the...Alex, since when could you use Maker Magic?!"

"So that's what this is! No wonder this seemed familiar." The newly-christened Maker Wizard stated before moving drill arm back. "And I'll answer your question later! But for now, one escape route coming up!"

Alexander thrust his arm into the bloody wall again, this time with red lightning blasting out of the hole his drill made. Soon enough, he pierced the wall of cartilage, and for a brief second, freedom seemed assured, only to be denied as the drill shattered upon hitting the inside-layer of rocky fang worm flesh, hurting Alexander's hand in the process.

"BY FENRIR'S GIANT BALLS! THAT F*&KING HURT!" He shouted as blood trickled from the many cuts marring his hand. "That bastard's got the bloody worm skin inside too! How the hell are we supposed to cut through that?!"

Zeke thought of that and his mind quickly remembered his earlier battle with Ridley. Specifically, Emerald Aegis' surprising display of strength when it shattered the giant eight ball to pieces.

"Alex, get ready!" The brunette shouted as he summoned his Fighting Spirit. The stone-skinned spirit reared its arm back and with a single cry…

" _ **DUO!"**_

...it smashed its right arm through the cartilage and even Yaza's skin, causing the massive worm/man amalgamation to scream in pain. Seizing the chance to escape, Zeke commanded Aegis to use both of its hands to tear open a larger hole in Yaza's throat. Alexander saw this and quickly conjured a lightning chain to wrap around Aegis. Zeke then commanded Aegis to grab him and the spirit jumped out of the worm man's throat, bringing Zeke and Alexander with him.

As Zeke and Alexander fell, Aegis dissipated and Happy managed to catch the two.

"Thanks, Happy!" Zeke said as the winged lion landed next to Lucy and Leo, who was blasting Yaza with his Regulus Magic from a distance. The two blood-covered men got off and saw Yaza screaming in pain before conjuring up a patch of solid light to stop the bleeding and cover the hole in his neck.

" **YOU HAVE TESTED MY PATIENCE, EVEN IN CONSUMPTION!"** Yaza shouted before conjuring a giant Light-Make Axe in his hand. " **I WILL SEVER YOUR SOULS FROM YOUR BODY AND KILL THE SOULS AS WELL!"**

Yaza then swung his ax down, creating a shockwave that knocked Jack, Natsu, Alyssa, and Lóng back temporality.

"Seriously, Seward! We don't have any other choice!" Hidalgo stated as everyone else got back up from that shockwave.

"What're you talking about?" Zeke asked.

"Seward and Hidalgo have this Unity Link called Chaos Boy." Izumi explained as she shook the sand from her hair. "It's a being made of living chaos magic. But while it's strong as hell, the resulting mental feedback almost drives them nuts."

"Well, we might have to risk it." Seward said. And he was pondering this, Zeke was also thinking about how so far, Aegis was the only thing had actually managed to get through Yaza's skin. However, he only figured that out after almost getting eaten. And while Emerald Aegis was apparently strong enough to actually hurt Yaza, it was also pretty slow. However, inspiration struck Zeke when he saw Natsu propelling himself with his fire.

"That's it!"

"SEWARD!" Zeke shouted grabbing his comrade's attention. "I have an idea; Natsu and I have to pull off a Unity Link."

"What," Seward gasped. "You've never performed Unity Magic before! If you don't do it correctly the spell will collapse in on itself and the magic feedback could cripple you, even kill you!"

"And if we don't try this, Yaza will kill all of us," Zeke said as he stared at Seward, his eyes filled with determination. "Emerald Aegis is the only thing that's even scratched him so far, but it's too slow to hit him. Natsu's fire may be just the boost Aegis needs."

Seward sighed as a small smile appeared on his face. "Master Vasquez did say you Fairy Tail Wizards were off your rockers. Alright, in order to perform a Unity Link, you and Natsu need to synchronize your Mana Wavelengths and perform a gesture to merge your magics."

Zeke's eyes were wide as dinner plates. "... we need to sync our what-now?"

Seward's eye twitched for a moment before he shook himself out of his shock. "Just think good thoughts about each other and cast your spells while shaking hands or something, and hope that nothing goes wrong!" He screamed before running off towards the battle once more. "We'll keep him distracted while you two cast your Unity Magic."

Zeke smiled for a moment before he becoming deathly serious again. "NATSU!" He called out. "Come over here, I've got a plan."

Natsu was at his side in an instant. "Finally figured out a way to take down this worm loving bastard?"

"Yeah, your flames, and my Emerald Aegis, together. We need to cast a Unity Link like Jack and Hidalgo's Sword Boy. What do you say?"

Natsu flashed a toothy grin. "I'm in, what do we do?"

"Well, basically Seward said we need to channel our Magic while thinking good thoughts about each other, and then perform some kind of gesture to cast the Unity Link and hope against hope this doesn't backfire and kill us both."

"You sure about this?" Natsu asked, his face suddenly grim.

"If I'm being honest, not really, but we don't have a lot of opinions here." Zeke replied before channeling his magical energy into his right hand. "You with me?"

Natsu's grin returned with avengence as he ignited his right hand. "Always. Wouldn't be a Team Morningstar mission without risking our lives."

"Whatever you guys are doing, do it fast!" Hidalgo shouted before Yaza knocked Golden Boy away, hurting the Shine Wizard due to their connection.

"Don't rush them! Do you want them to die!?" Seward screamed as he narrowly avoided a giant orange tomahawk.

Natsu and Zeke looked at each other before nodding. They clenched their fists and reared them back, green and azure energy flowing off each other respectively.

" _Unity Link!"_ The two chanted before bumping fists. On contact, it released a massive burst of magical energy from them and a blue & green magic circle appeared above them. As this happened, Natsu and Zeke heard the voice of Emerald Aegis in their minds.

_**I am thou. Thou art I. I am the inferno brought forth by the bonds shared between you two.** _

Soon enough, the two were bombarded by their shared memories, from their first meeting, their first mission, all of their heart-to-heart conversations, meeting their various friends, and up to their latest heart-to-heart before the mission. The two friends looked at each other before smirking and facing their foe.

" _Awaken, Blazing Aegis!"_

In a burst of brilliant light, the altered Fighting Spirit came to life above them. And while it was the same size as before, it now possessed claws in place of its hands and feet, a stone tail, black stone wings with emerald tips, and a stone dragon head with green eyes. The transformed fighting spirit then roared, unleashing a torrent of emerald fire.

" **YOU CAN SUMMON ALL THE CREATURES OF THE GREATER COSMOS YOU DESIRE, BUT THEY WON'T SAVE YOU!"** Yaza shouted as he conjured up a Light-Make Bazooka in his arms. Unlike before, Natsu and Zeke weren't afraid to face the massive attack head-on.

"Let's kick his ass!" The two shouted in unison as Blazing Aegis roared and sly ahead, emerald fire trailing behind it.

_(Music Que - Fairy Tail OST: Dragon Force)_

Yaza pulled the trigger and launched a massive blast of light magic at Blazing Aegis. However, the fighting spirit reared its fist back and it became engulfed in emerald fire.

" _Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"_ Natsu shouted before Blazing Aegis punched through the blast and right into Yaza's face, knocking out his giant front teeth. The orange-skinned man didn't falter however as he conjured a massive Light-Make Mace.

" **DIE!"** The worm man shouted as he swung at Blazing Aegis.

" _Blazing Shield!"_ Zeke shouted as Blazing Aegis raised its left arm and conjured up a large shield of green fire that deflected the Light-Make weapon. The winged spirit then flew upward until the moon was directly behind it. On instinct, Yaza looked up and was momentarily blinded. Blazing Aegis roared and stretched out its wings as even more emerald flames burst forth from its body.

" _Blazing Arrow Storm!"_ Natsu and Zeke yelled together, Blazing Aegis raised its arms as dozens of fire arrowed formed around it, and fired them at Yaza. It then blasted ahead and started a barrage of charging attacks, piercing Yaza's armor and painting the desert sand with his orange blood.

"Come on, everybody! Pour on everything you got!" Seward shouted as he requipped his Wind Tome. He and Hidalgo then slapped hands before facing forward, all of their allies doing the same.

" _Unity Raid: Gold Tornado!"_ Seward and Hidalgo shouted as they unleashed a tornado of liquid gold.

" _Unity Raid: Tsunami Cross-Slash!"_ Izumi and Jack shouted before unleashing a cross-shaped water razor attack.

" _Hammer Blast!"_ Claudia shouted as she turned her hammer to the absorption side, unleashing a multi-elemental blast.

" _Speed Queen: Vibration Blast!"_ Alyssa chanted, throwing a ball of kinetic energy mixed with her Soul Armor magic.

" _RAAAAAAARRR!"_ Happy roared, unleashing a massive sonic-blast from his maw.

" _Meteor Storm!"_ Lucy shouted with the image of Virgo next to her, unleashing glowing blade fragments.

" _Spear of Regulus!"_ Leo chanted, creating a spear of powerful cosmic magic that he tossed with all his might.

" _Final Wave!"_ Alexander declared as he fired his flintlock with the image of Hóuzi next to him, the massive bullet blast mixed with his new crimson lightning.

" _ **Crimson Hellfire!"**_ Lóng shouted before firing a fireball five times bigger than her.

" _Leviathan!"_ Hoshi chanted, requipping her most powerful staff and summoning the monstrous effigy.

The barrage of various magics were strong enough to blast Yaza through his citadel, colliding into the mountain that housed it. Blazing Aegis then grabbed the giant worm man's tail, and with a roar from both Natsu and Zeke, the draconic spirit tossed its foe high into the air.

"Let's finish him!" Natsu shouted as he fed more magic into Blazing Aegis.

"Hell yea!" Zeke replied as Blazing Aegis conjured a bow and arrow of fire. It took aim at Yaza as he roared in anger as he started to descend.

" **WHY WON'T YOU ALL JUST DIE?!"** He shouted before conjuring spiky Light-Make Armor around his torso and head, an ax in one hand, and a hammer in the other before charging down at the wizards.

" _With the blazing inferno of a Fire Dragon…"_ Natsu began, the words for the spell instinctively coming into his mind, same with Zeke.

" _...Guided by an Archer's bow…"_ Zeke followed up.

" _With our combined powers, we will defeat any foe!"_ The two said in unison as Blazing Aegis' arrow grew stronger and stronger. Yaza reared his arms back, ready to bring his weapons down.

" **DIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEE!"**

" _FIRE DRAGON'S HELLFIRE ARROW!"_

Blazing Aegis unleashed the arrow. It took on the shape of a dragon as it left the bow and flew through the air. With a deafening boom and a blinding light, the two forces collided, rocking the very earth they stood on. A massive thud was heard, and when the light faded, the wizards saw Yaza, now separated from the fallen fang worm and lying in the rubble of his castle.

_(Music Que End)_

"Fina-f*%king-ly." Zeke said as he and Natsu shared a victorious grin before passing out from magical energy depletion, Blazing Aegis vanishing as well.

"YAHOO!" Happy and Hidalgo shouted as everyone felt a wave of relief pass over them. However, Happy was starting to feel tired as well, falling asleep and turning back into his familiar and tiny self.

"Welp, I don't know about you guys, but I say we get the hell out of this dessert." Alexander said. In silent agreement, he, Lucy and Alyssa helped their unconscious friends up. As they did so, Lóng looked at her summoner and chuckled. With her job done, she began to return to the Celestial World along with Leo.

' _ **They might be uncouth, but they're interesting nonetheless.'**_ Lóng thought with a smile.

And so, after what seemed like forever, Team Morningstar and the Titan Five's journey in the Badlands was over. Although none them noticed a certain marauder dig himself out of the sand, his bonds broken during the fight.

Far away, another conflict was already brewing as Silas and Oroboros stepped through his portal into her cave.

"That was a waste of time," Oroboros said, fully intent on sleeping the night away.

" **Well, not a total waste,"**  Silas said as picked something out from his pocket. A small purple orb that with a small crack running across its surface. " **Poor Ocu. You've always had such piss poor luck. Then again, which one of us have actually gotten what they deserve?"**

"Our business is finished." The snake spirit said, snapping Silas out of his musings. Her voice carried an overwhelming air of finality. "Leave."

While Oroboros' killer gaze would be enough to make even the bravest souls soil themselves, Silas simply met it with a chuckle.

" **Oh, that's cute. You thought this was a one-time thing."** He said before as he walked past the snake-woman to pick up the strange, stone mask from before. The purple-haired woman hissed, gripping the hilt of her sword.

" **Ah, ah, ah,"** The Shadowman said with a wag of his finger while sharp tendrils emerged from his body and soon surrounded the mask. " **First off, you know that won't do anything to me. And second, if you do, maybe I'll crush your little life-extender just out of spite. Or dump it in the Aether Sea."** A maniacal grin spread across his face as he contemplated the mask. " **I'd settle for either."**

He then looked at the corpse he pulled the mask off of. " **And judging by how old Miss Lively is over here, I'd say you got...oh, forty, maybe fifty years before you turn fade away."**

With another angry hiss, Oroboros begrudgingly relaxed her stance, moving her hand away from her blade.

"Just what is your endgame, Silas?" Oroboros asked. "And more importantly, why drag me into it?"

With a smirk on his face, the demon simply raised his free hand and snapped his fingers, creating a shadow portal behind him.

" **It would be far easier to show you,"** The demon said before he stepped through the portal, Oroboros' mask still in hand. With much reluctance, the snake spirit followed him.

When she emerged on the other side, she stood on a beach of dull gray sand as pale, lifeless water slowly lapped away at the shore. However, what stood on the island took the words right out of Oroboros' mouth, and forced her to her knees in pure disbelief.

_(Music Que - Fairy Tail OST: Tower of Heaven)_

With its twisted body and sporadically jutting sides, the tower that stood at the center of the isle was the very definition of chaos. The bottom and main body of the tower was comprised of overlapping and intertwining lengths of metal tubes which wound together from the ground and straight up into the sky. These giant pipes were held together through a series of smaller tubes which linked the main sections as well as many differently sized and shaped golden decorations which looped over and around the frame of the tower, adding to its unruly presentation. Around the main form of the building a twisted staircase wound, rising around the tower and leading to the throne room at the top.

The already mentioned throne room also added to the disorderly nature of the building, appearing as a giant green sphere encased in a crystal. The surface of the sphere was uneven and blotchy, being decorated with several red eye-shaped symbols, marked in a circle just above the room's circumference. Additionally, a large amount of sharp crystals protruded from the green sphere, each one of them pointing randomly from the room and appearing to have been literally grown through the sides of the walls. Keeping these crystals in place was a detailed metal band, which ran around the length of the room. Right at the very top of the tower, another little metal structure protruded, this being a twisted golden cone.

" **Magnificent, isn't it?"** Silas asked, his mischievous demeanor gone as he gazed upon the tower in reverence, a true smile appearing on his face for the first time in centuries. " **I mean, they did get a few aesthetic details wrong, but it's a near perfect reproduction of the tower father built all those years ago."**

"So the rumors are true," Oroboros said, her emotionless mask shattered. The swordswoman could only look at the structure before her with eyes overflowing with fear and awe. Silas gave a nod before handing the mask back to her.

" **Just think about it, Shé,"**  Silas spoke as walked closer towards the tower. " **With the limited time and research he had, Father created something that allowed you to live at the cost of so many others. Now imagine what he could do with time and all the magical advancements of the last 2000 years."**

He turned to face her and held out his hand. The snake-eyed woman looked up at the silver-haired man, and for the first time in centuries, saw a face that contained no malice, no bloodlust, no mischief, or anger. No, this was the face that was once saddened by her plight and offered her salvation. The face of someone who once believed in the best of people only to have been stomped on by the weight of reality. A face that, at one point, she believed she could love.

And so, as she was filled with conviction and purpose, something she had almost forgotten the feeling of, something more than the simple desire to survive as she had for last two millennia, something so strong that she couldn't ignore it even if tried, Oroborus stood up and took Silas' hand. With the single motion, they vowed they would stand together and ensure, that no matter what, this tower would serve its purpose.

Zeref would live again.

_(Music Que End)_

_**And then…** _

"ARE YOU F*&KING KIDDING ME?!" Hidalgo shouted for probably the seventh time that month. After another week of traversing the Badlands (during which they had attended to their wounds), the twelve wizards had arrived in the town of Bellandra. However, it appeared they had arrived too late, as the last train for the night had departed.

"I-I'm sorry, sir!" A rather nervous looking clerk said. "I-I'm just telling y-you what's…"

"No, no, no. I shouldn't be mad with you," The shine wizard said, managing to calm himself down before walking away. He then proceeded to return to the group, who were waiting outside the station.

"Looks like we just missed the last express," Hidalgo said, exasperated.

"Oh, no. What a tragedy." Izumi said sarcastically, Natsu quickly nodded his head in agreement.

"Great, so what do we do now?" Jack asked, irritated as the next train wouldn't arrive until morning.

"What can we now? Is anything even open this late?" Zeke asked as everyone looked around. Hoshi, however, was the one who noticed a rather large tavern with a sign proclaiming itself The Spoony Bard, with a plaque on the door that read " _We welcome all, anytime, anyday!"_

"Anyone up for a drink?" The behatted wizard asked, getting everyone's attention as she pointed at the tavern.

"Sign me up." Alexander said, already walking towards it.

"I could use a good stiff one." Claudia stated while Happy giggled at the unintentional innuendo. Soon enough, everyone agreed that after the adventure they had, they earned a drink. They approached the tavern...and were soon met by a woman crashing through a nearby window.

"YOU WANNA TRY THAT AGAIN, YOU PANSY?!" She shouted before jumping back through the broken window.

"Ah, feels just like home." Zeke said as the group entered the bar. And while it wasn't as expansive as the Fairy Tail guild, it still held a decent number of patrons who were either regaling one another with stories, drinking, flirting, or beating the crap out of each other. Quickly, the group found two tables close to each other and started chatting as Zeke and Natsu went to bar counter to order everyone's drink.

"'Ello, lads," The portly gray-haired bartender with a handlebar mustache said as the two took a seat. "What cun ah get ya?"

"Two sodas, four mugs of mead, two mugs of rum, and three fruitinis." Zeke said, gesturing to their friends. The bartender looked at their table and quietly counted.

"That's only eleven drinks, it is." The older man stated. "One of ya friends not feelin' up to it, eh?"

"Not quite it. I can't get drunk, so no point in drinking," Natsu said with a frown. The bartender looked at him for a second before snapping his finger.

"Lem me guess; yer' some kind ah Fire Wizard." the bartender asked.

The salmon-haired dragon-slayer simply nodded.

A huge grin spread across the old man's face. "You just wait right there. Old Maurice has got somethin' for blokes like you."

As Old Maurice left to prepare their drinks, Natsu and Zeke turned in their seats, looking back at their friends, old and new alike.

"We've been through a lot together, haven't we?" Zeke asked, getting his friends' attention.

"Where'd that come from?"

"Remember when we did our Unity Link?" The archer stated, reminding Natsu of the instant they shared each other's memories.

"Oh," The salmon-haired man said before thinking it over as well. "We really have."

"Did you ever think this is where we'd end up, back before we met?"

"In a bar?" Natsu asked.

"No, I mean, back when we were kids, did you think we'd be going on these insane and life-threatening quests?"

The Fire Dragon-Slayer thought for a moment before answering. "I just figured me and Igneel were going be living off the land forever, with each other to keep company. Never bothering anyone, and no one bothering us. You?"

"I thought I was going to follow my mom's footsteps and join the Rune Knights when I turned eighteen." Zeke answered truthfully as he thought back. And when he really thought about it, his first meeting with Natsu, while insignificant on its own, was truly life-changing in the long run. And Natsu was thinking the same thing. If the two men had never met, who knows what would've happened. What people they would have become without each other.

And sure, they faced hardship in their lives, but really, who didn't?

"But you know something?" The brunette said with a smile as he looked at his best friend. "I can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be right now."

And with his usual energetic smile, Natsu said, "Ditto." before the two bumped fists.

"Well, except in Juvia's bed," Zeke said with a blush and grin.

Natsu looked at his friend for a moment. "Have you two…"

"No, not yet. But a man can dream, right?" Zeke said before the two had a good chuckle.

At that moment, Old Maurice returned with a tray that held their drinks...including a rather odd-looking orange drink that seemed to be constantly boiling.

"The hell is that?" Zeke asked.

"Ra'fined Fire Demon Ale. Imported straight from Necrozia." The grey-haired bartender explained as Natsu sniffed the drink with caution. "It's guaranteed to make even the most hot-headed fire wizard drunk off their arse."

With a 'Why not?' shrug, Natsu took an experimental sip and was pleasantly surprised. "Tastes like campfire!"

And with that, the two returning to their table with a tray, just as Seward was regaling the party with a tale.

"And that's the story of the fifteenth time I almost died." The portly wizard saint said as Natsu and Zeke placed the tray on their table.

"Alright, so I'll be the first to admit it; this mission was kind of a bust." Hoshi stated.

"Why do you say that?" Claudia asked.

Hoshi sipped her drink before sighing. "Well, we were hired to kill one of Zeref's demons, only for an insane worm man to do for us."

"Kind of makes you feel robbed, doesn't it?" Izumi said as she took a sip of her fruitini.

"Well, it wasn't all bad. Me and Happy unlocked new magic." Alexander said as red lightning danced around his fingers.

"Hooray for you." Hidalgo chimed in while Alyssa thought of the Shadowman, and how he was still out there. Alexander was also thinking of Shé, but there was something nagging him at the back of his mind, something important.

"Look on the bright side," Natsu said with his usual toothy grin and boundless energy. "We kicked ass in a place that would've killed lesser wizards. That's a win in my book."

And though they had mixed feelings about their mission, everyone couldn't help but appreciate the Dragon Slayer's optimism.

"A toast." Seward said as he raised his mug of rum. "To living to see another adventure."

"Cheers!" Everyone said as they clanged their drinks together. However, one thing should be made abundantly clear; Alcohol and magic are a dangerous combination. And not just for Fairy Tail wizards.

_**Two drinks later…** _

"You know, I think I'm done with women." Hidalgo said as finished his second fruitini.

"And every gal in Fiore rejoices!" Izumi cheered, already tipsy from her drinks, earning some chuckles from the group.

"I'm serious! Every relationship I've had with a woman beyond friendship just ends in disaster." The shine wizard thought to himself. "Maybe I should try dating men."

Upon hearing this, Seward almost choked on his rum. The redness of his cheeks could be interpreted in various ways.

"That's not going to be that big of a difference, trust me." Alexander stated. But before Team Morningstar could ask their one-eyed friend what he meant by that, a cough interrupted them and got their attention. They turned to see Steve, the Worm Rider, standing awkwardly beside their table.

"Um...hello, Steve here." Steve choked out.

"Holy crap, Steve! I completely forgot about you." Zeke said.

"Who's this guy again?" Natsu whispered to Lucy.

"He's the marauder that led us to Yaza's citadel," the blonde replied.

"Alright, I'm just going to lay this out there." Steve stated. "I hate all of you. You took me prisoner, humiliated me, forced me to betray my people, and left me for dead in your fight against King Yaza!" Steve was practically screaming by the end of his rant.

"And for that," Steve screamed pointing an accusatory finger at the group. "I…" Steve suddenly… deflated, his shoulders drooping and arms dropping to his side "have come ask if you could give me a place to live, maybe a job too."

The group of wizards stared at the Worm Rider in wide-eyed confusion.

"I'm sorry, but why the f*ck you do want to us to give you a job and a place to live?" Hidalgo asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, you just said you hate us, and what about all your friends and family in the Badlands?" Lucy asked.

"Well, against my will or not, I helped you find our citadel, so that means I'm a traitor," Steve pulled up a chair and took a seat. "And according to Worm Rider law, the punishment for betrayal is 24 hours of vigorous flogging, followed by having your appendages removed, and finally death by impalement."

"That's gross and horrible." Alyssa commented.

"You have no idea." The worm rider said, practically shaking.

"Well, we do need a new guild handyman. You'd get your own room at the guildhall with a private bathroom and kitchenette." Jack stated.

"Sounds like a pretty sweet deal, but what happened to old one?" Hoshi asked.

The Titan Five shared an awkward look. "Let's just say he quit after an incident involving him, Master Vasquez, and seven bottles of gin." Seward answered.

_**Seven drinks later…** _

As Lucy left the bathroom, a bit clumsy from the alcohol in her system, a sleazy-looking man approached her, his eyes glued to her bountiful bosom.

"Well, well, welly, well, well." Said the patron, already ten mugs of mead to the wind. "Aren't you quiet the 'gifted' little tart."

"... whuh?" Lucy asked, her drunken brain not yet making the connection that this stranger was hitting on her. It wasn't until the ballsy drunk outright grouped her left breast that she finally understood his intentions.

"Bloody F*&K! This dirty pillows' real!"

Now keep in mind, Lucy was not a naturally violent person. Sure, there were times where she would lose her temper when dealing with her teammates, but that was more exasperation than anything else. However, if there was one thing that could set her off (and really anyone off unless they were weird,) it would be a forceful groping. On top of that, Lucy had spent her life dealing with men (and some women) who only saw what her mama gave her instead of the actual person attached to them. And so, she gave an appropriate response that would much subdue anyone (except maybe Gajeel.)

A swift and firm boot to the groin.

"^(*^&*(%(%#$) ^$( $^*( %$)^!" The drunk swore angrily as he fell and grasped his pained nethers.

"And for t-the record, buddy…" Lucy began to say, stopping only to hiccup. "...these 'dirty pillows' already belong to someone with more class in his pinky than y-you've got in your entire life!"

And moral is, never grope an angry, drunk wizard. That and don't sexually assault people. It's just not proper.

_**Twelve drinks later…** _

Thanks to the liquid courage he had ingested, Alexander had decided to do something he hadn't done since his pirating days...stand on top of a table and sing a shanty tune, arms held out like an opera singer...or someone's drunken interpretation of an opera singer.

" _A Fiorian tar is a soaring soul, as free as a mountain biiiird!"_ The one-eyed man sung. " _His energetic fists should be ready to resist, a dictatorial woooooorrrd!"_

"Get drunk, you down!" A completely wasted Zeke shouted while everyone else laughed their asses off, save for Izumi, who had passed out almost an hour ago. And for once, Natsu could also take part in the drunken festivities, the Fire Demon Ale doing its job.

" _His nose should pant…"_ Alexander began.

" _And his lips should curl!"_ Seward chimed in.

" _His cheeks should flame…"_

" _And his brow should furl!"_ Hoshi sang with an over-exaggerated hand motion.

" _His bosom should heave…"_

" _And his heart should glow!"_ Jack finished as everyone, including Steve and other patrons of the Spoony Bard started to get into it.

" _And his fist be ever ready for a knock-down blow!"_ Natsu and Alyssa sang together as they held their fists out.

" _HIIIIIIIIISSSS nose should pant and his lips should curl!"_ Everyone sang. " _His cheeks should flame and his brow should furl! His bosom should heave and his heart should glow! And his fists be ever ready for a knock-down blow!"_

" _His eyes should flash with an inborn fire, his brow with scorn be wruung!"_ Hidalgo sang alone. " _He never should bow down to a domineering frown…"_

" _Or the tang of a tyrant tongue!"_ Lucy and Hoshi sand together.

And it continued like that as the patrons sang the tunes of Fiore's most famous opera. The night of alcohol-induced merriment continued for the wizards and former worm rider...until Natsu and Alyssa got a bit too frisky and almost did it on their table. And while Old Maurice could tolerate a lot from his patrons, he drew the line at public indecency and had the group removed from the premises. Not that they seemed to mind as most of them were almost twenty drinks in.

The following day, with several severe hangovers, the group of thirteen boarded a train then went their separate ways. The two teams felt as though they had a new understanding of the other. And while they were unaware of the dangers that lay ahead of them, for now, the only thing on their minds was home, sweet home.


	15. The Proposal

_Chapter 15: The Proposal_

_**Ten years ago…** _

_As was often the case, Natsu found himself lodging in one of the guild's spare guest rooms since he didn't have a place of his own. As part of his usual routine, he awoke in the middle of the night to relieve himself, and then headed back to bed. A typical night for the pink haired Dragon Slayer._

_However, this night had something else in mind that would make it very atypical._

_As Natsu walked through the halls, a strange muffled sound reached his ears. He stopped dead in his tracks. Natsu spun around, listening carefully, but the noise had disappeared. He wrote it off as the creaking of an old building, and continued on his way._

_Then he heard the noise again._

_It wasn't quite as muffled this time, and Natsu quickly identified the noise as a person, not the building. The pink haired boy knew that he was the only one who actually lived at the guild, so hearing a person in the middle of the night was definitely strange. Following the sound to its source, Natsu's ears lead him towards the guild's clinic._

_As Natsu approached the clinic, he remembered a story Zeke had told him. A story about how a girl had been murdered in her home, and how her spirit had remained in the world of the living to torment anyone who came into her house. That was the only logical explanation in Natsu's mind; a ghost was haunting the guildhall and wanted to torment everyone._

_Now, any normal kid would be scared of the possibility of a ghost haunting their home. Natsu was not a normal kid, and smirked at the thought of beating up a ghost (and having something to lord over Gray.) He approached the clinic door and pressed his ear against it. Sure enough, that was the source of the crying._

' _Alright! I'll rush in and smash that ghost's stupid face in!' The salmon-haired boy thought to himself before busting the door down with a single kick. A terrified scream rang through the air._

" _Got ya, you stupid ghAAAAHH!" Natsu shouted before tripping on a loose floorboard and falling right on his face. "Owie."_

_And then, the crying was replaced by snorting laughter. Natsu looked up and saw a small, orange-haired girl sitting in a bed. She wore a tattered purple sundress, her arms and legs were riddled with scrapes and bruises, and her eyes were puffy from crying. Not that Natsu noticed at the time with how the girl was laughing at him._

" _What's so darn funny?" Natsu asked as he rubbed his sore face._

" _Y-your face! It's all red!" The girl laughed some more. Natsu's face, red from hitting the floor, became even redder with embarrassment, and the girl's laughter increased. He looked the orange haired girl over, and she stopped laughing when she noticed the pink haired boy's gaze, revealing her purple eyes._

" _Well, I guess you're not a ghost." The salmon-haired boy said, confusing the girl. "Who are you then?"_

_The girl said nothing as she gained an annoyed and skeptical look on her face._

" _Why should I tell you?" she cried. "You're just some stranger."_

_Natsu pouted before hopping on the bed. The girl jumped back at the sudden action. The boy then gave her one of the brightest smiles she had ever seen in her young life._

" _My name's Natsu Dragneel." He said with an outstretched hand. "There! I'm not a stranger anymore!"_

_The girl looked at the boy with an unreadable expression. She gazed into his wide black eyes and at his kind smile, and she was filled with a warmth that she thought she'd never feel again. Trembling, she reached out and shook the boy's hand, her face breaking into a smile that rivaled his._

" _I'm Alyssa Grunewald."_

" _Nice to meet ya, Melissa!"_

_And just like that, Alyssa's smile faded and was replaced with a pout._

" _That's not my name."_

" _Are you sure? 'Cause I heard Melissa."_

" _It's Alyssa, you dummy!" She said with a light bop to his head._

" _Sorry. I'm bad with names." The boy said nervously, which the girl giggled at._

_And similar to Natsu's first meeting with Zeke, the young dragon-slayer had no idea that this simple meeting would come to shape his future._

_**Now…** _

"87...88...89…" Alyssa counted as she went through her usual morning ab crunches. It had been about a week since Team Morningstar had returned from their mission to the Badlands, and life was proceeding as normal. Zeke had thrown himself into researching everything he could about Fighting Spirits and Unity Magic, Happy was getting the hang of his Lion Form (admittedly, that was going to take some getting used too,) and Lucy had shown Lupus around Magnolia. Alexander, Hoshi, Natsu, and herself simply went about their normal routines.

"...90...91...92…"

'I mean, it's not like anything big happened.' Alyssa thought to herself. After all, she had just recently come face to face with the monster that had massacred and eaten her entire family, bringing up emotions and trauma that she had thought long faded away over the years.

"...93...94...95...96...97…"

It's not like those emotions resulted in a string of thoughts that caused other painful memories to resurface. Memories of Lisanna. Her teacher. Her family.

"...98...99...100!"

Yup, no lingering trauma at all. After all, today was a new day.

'And nothing beats a nice shower after a full workout.' Alyssa thought to herself as she gathered her bathing supplies. But as she left her room, she heard the sound of walls breaking, shouting, running, and cursing. 'What the hell is going on?'

Alyssa's question was soon answered as Bickslow and Robin ran into the hallway. A very naked and wet Bickslow and Robin.

"I'M TOO YOUNG TO DIE!" Bickslow cried out.

"Can't we talk this over, red?!" Robin asked in a panic as the two nude wizards ran for their lives. And a few seconds later, Alyssa saw the reason they were running as an enraged Erza, clad in her Black Wing Armor no less, turned the corner. Clutched in hands was a bat with a dozen or so nails embedded in it. Erza called this beauty her Punishment Stick, which she only brought out when she was really pissed off. Alyssa had been on the receiving end of it a few times before when she'd brought her boyfriend over and they ended up being a little too noisy in their 'activities.'

"Oh, we'll talk it over...AFTER YOU PERVERTS HAVE PAID FOR DEFILING THE SANCTITY OF FAIRY HILLS!"

And so, the chase continued, leaving behind a ruined hallway and a very confused Alyssa.

"The f*&k was that about?" Alyssa said as she stared at the now empty hallway.

"Do you really want to know?" Alyssa turned and saw Hoshi with bags under her eyes, along with a blushing Juvia, and a particularly distraught and disturbed Evergreen.

"Out of morbid curiosity, yes." The amazon answered.

"Long story short, the four of us were heading to the bath, but when we got there, it was...occupied." Juvia told as steam rose from her flushed red body. "Bickslow and Robin...they were...the two of them were…"

"They were f*&king in the bathtub." Hoshi articulated for her embarrassed friend.

"Holy shit, really?!" The orange-haired woman hollered in surprise.

"I could've gone my entire life without seeing him naked." Evergreen muttered, clearly shaken by the sight she had beheld. "My beautiful eyes...they've been tainted."

'Yup, just another day with the Fairy Tail guild.' Alyssa thought to herself as she continued to talk with her friends, her darker thoughts fading to the back of her mind.

_**Meanwhile, at Zeke's place...** _

" _So will yoooooooouuuu maaaaaarrrryyy meeeeeeeeeeee?"_ Natsu sang, panting as he stood on one knee and held an open box containing an engagement ring with an amethyst gem. "So, what'd ya think?"

"Ya, sure, that sounds awesome." Zeke replied, although it was clear from his tone of voice and the fact that his face was buried in the pages of a book called  _The Inner Workings of the Human Soul_  that he wasn't really paying attention.

"Oh, come on, man!" The salmon-haired dragon-slayer roared in annoyance. "Did you even hear any of that?"

"To be honest, Natsu, you lost me at the first verse." The archer replied as he closed his book and placed in on the kitchen table. "I don't think that a proposal by song is the way to go."

"And why not?"

"Well… you're not that great at it."

"BULLSHIT! The guys at the karaoke bar love my singing!"

"They're probably either too drunk to care or too scared that you'd burn the place down if they said anything else."

"I wouldn't do that!" Natsu shouted.

Zeke gave him a look that said 'really?'

"Okay, I might do it." The Dragon Slayer said with a disgruntled pout.

The brunette sighed as his friend took a seat opposite him. Natsu had been throwing ideas for how he should propose to Alyssa by the archer ever since they returned from the Badlands. Various ideas had been through from a fireworks proposal (the two immediately agreed it would end up literally blowing up in Natsu's face,) renting out a restaurant (which Natsu couldn't afford to do,) hiding the engagement ring in Alyssa's lunch (she would probably end up choking on it given her eating habits,) and finally, the proposal by song.

"Why is this so hard?" Natsu grumbled as he laid his head on the table.

"Well, I'm probably not the guy you should be asking about proposal ideas." Zeke said. He stretched his arms above his head. "The closest I've ever come when I considered asking Levy if we could get an apartment together, but we broke up before I could talk to her about it."

The room was silent for a minute before "Why not ask someone like Macao or Wakaba?"

Natsu gave Zeke a look that said 'really?'

"Okay, never mind."

"Morning, champ." Lyle said as he entered the kitchen and began to brew some coffee. "Oh, hey Natsu. What brings you here so early?"

And suddenly, a realization came to Natsu. Macao and Wakaba weren't the only married (or formerly married in Macao's case) guys in the guild. He was looking at one right now.

"Mr. Hudson, how did you propose to Amelia?" The dragon-slayer queried. The guild master gained a confused look on his face.

"Natsu's planning on proposing to Alyssa; he's been running ideas by for a week." Zeke explained.

"Oh, congratulations!" Lyle said with a smile.

"Thanks! So tell me, how did you propose?"

The Absorption Wizard thought about for a moment. "Well, I invited her out for a walk, brought her to our usual spot in South Gate Park, and I asked her."

Natsu at the Guild Master, both surprised and disappointed at his story. "… that's it?"

"That's it." Lyle stated. "Although, I did try to propose a few times before. And each of them ended in disaster."

"But… that's so simple." Natsu stated. "I want to show Alyssa just how much I care about her, how much I love her; just asking her isn't gonna cut it."

"Let me lay something on you. And this goes for you too, Zeke." Lyle stated as he took a seat. "If someone loves you, truly and honestly loves you with all their heart, then even the simplest displays of affection will mean as much as the grandest gestures."

Natsu was awestruck. He began to contemplate Lyle's words and realized that his guild master was right. It was always the small and simple gestures like a kiss on the cheek and soft 'I love you's' that always brought a smile to Alyssa's face. She did the same for him by being his sparring partner and an ear willing to listen. The very foundation of their relationship was built on something as simple as sharing a laugh.

Natsu laughed at his own bullheadedness. "Oh man, everyone's right about me," he said with a huge grin. "I've got to be the densest Wizard in the guild. The answer was so simple I couldn't see it."

_**Meanwhile, at the Guildhall...** _

"More fishes, please!" Happy exclaimed with glee. The talking feline was in his Lion Form with a tower of fish bones next to him.

"Um...we're out of fish, Happy." Mira said with a nervous smile.

"What? But we've never run out of fish!" The blue lion screamed with an almost comical flair.

"And you've never been a lion before." Gray chimed in as he contemplated his next move in his and Elfman's chess match.

"Hey, Reggie! Another rum!" Alexander shouted from his seat at the bar.

"Easy now, Alex. You should really pace yourself. It's still early in the day, after all." The Slide Wizard warned.

"What can I say? I'm in a drinking mode." The one-eyed man said with a smile. With a chuckle, Reginald went to fetch another rum for Alex just as Alyssa, Hoshi, Juvia, and Evergreen arrived.

"Morning, Alyssa." Lucy said with a smile. Sitting across from her was Freed, the two of them sharing a late breakfast. Speaking of Freed…

"Hello, Evergreen. Say, you wouldn't have happened to see Bickslow around, would you?" The green-haired man asked.

"Oh, I've seen him alright." The brown-eyed wizard said, eyes wide in horror. "More of him than I ever wanted to see."

Freed and Lucy blinked in confusion before Alyssa told them about this morning's incident. As this happened, Hoshi felt like she needed a good stiff drink and took a seat next to Alexander, who was in the midst of drinking his third mug of rum.

"Reggie, I'll have what he's having."

"So you're starting early too, huh?" Reginald asked in response.

"Well, I've had a hell of a morning." The burgundy-haired woman stated before turning to Alexander. "What about you?"

"Does a man need a reason to drink?"

"Well, you've been drinking early for the last few days. In my experience, that usually means someone's trying to drink away their problems. So, what's the deal?"

For the briefest of seconds, Alexander's jovial smile faltered. However, he quickly regained his composure before speaking again.

"I don't really know. I think...I've been thinking about Wendy and Grandine more and more lately. Especially in my dreams. I just...keep thinking about the storm and…"

Hoshi nodded in understanding as Reginald placed her drink in front of her. As she took a sip of her drink, Hoshi thought about how her and Alexander had gone through similar tragedies. With the death of their birth parents (as far Hoshi was concerned, that witch that kidnapped Natsu was not their mother) and the loss of a sibling. But Hoshi was lucky. After years of believing him dead and gone forever, she'd found Natsu alive and well. Alexander wasn't so lucky.

That train of thought made Hoshi think about the effects that trauma could have on someone over the years. Alexander's talk of dreams made her think about her own unpleasant experiences with nightmares and their ilk; such as the reason for the bags under her eyes.

"Hey, I get it." The behatted Wizard said before downing her drink. "Everyone's got their own ways to cope."

She then stood up and stretched before walking away.

"Got somewhere to be?" Alexander asked the retreating woman.

"Yup. I need to find a new Leviathan orb. I used up my last one during the mission." She explained with a wave. "See ya later."

"Ya. See ya." Alexander said as he went back to his drink. In his mind, he thought about how Hoshi was technically right. However, the familiar trauma he felt was not the cause of his recent binge. That came about a few nights ago.

_**Five Days Ago…** _

_As he opened the door to his apartment, Alexander was left alone with his thoughts once more. Something had been bugging him since Team Morningstar's mission to the Badlands, but in all of the excitement and adrenaline, he hadn't had a chance to process it. It was only on the way back home that it finally clicked in his head._

_And so, after getting home and turning on the lights, Alexander pulled out a familiar red key._

" _Open - Gate of the Rooster, Gōngjī." In a flash of light, the sharply-dressed rooster spirit appeared before him._

" _Good evening, Captain. How may I assist you?"_

_After a moment of hesitation, the one-eyed wizard went ahead and asked. "What do you know about Shé, the Red Snake Spirit?"_

_Gōngjī's eyes widened at the mention of her name. "Where on Earthland did you hear that name?"_

" _I guess Hŭ didn't tell you. The snake lady almost took my head clean off." Alexander explained. "Hŭ also said that she broke the ultimate taboo of all Celestial Spirits."_

_Gōngjī said nothing, his throat feeling very dry as he recalled the painful memories. As his master continued to stare at him, the Rooster Spirit finally spoke._

" _It was during the Forty-Year War, many Celestial Spirits were used on both sides of the conflict. Shé was contracted to a Fioren General named Sylvester Donovan, and used primarily as an advance guard. But as the war continued, with months turning into years, years turning into decades, Donovan's orders became more vile and gruesome. Shé was horrified by her master's actions, but whenever she spoke out against him, Donovan would brutally abuse her, and threaten to destroy her key."_

" _This continued on for almost ten years, until… that night. While Donovan slept, Shé emerged from the Celestial Plane into the human world without his knowledge. Shé knew that as long as the war continued, she would be nothing but a tool, a weapon used to slaughter anyone the general stood against. And you have to understand that in those days, it seemed as though the war would never end."_

" _And so, with a single strike, Shé broke the ultimate taboo for Celestial Spirits and sliced open Donovan's throat. In response, the Celestial King banished her from our world, destroying her key in the process."_

_The rooster spirit then started to rub his chin in contemplation, while Alex held his head down, fists shaking. "But that begs the question; How the devil is she still alive after 2000 years in the human world?"_

" _Here's another question." Alexander said, his expression showing barely contained rage. "Why the bloody hell didn't you tell me about this when I started searching for the red keys?!"_

" _What are you-"_

" _If her key's destroyed...that means I can't complete the set, that means I can't perform the Miracle!" Alexander shouted, his anger rising. "And you knew! You f* &king knew, didn't you?!"_

_Gōngjī said nothing, not even being able to look his wizard in the eye. And that was all the confirmation Alexander needed._

" _All these years...I've been running a fool's errand."_

" _Captain… you have to understand." Gōngjī tried to explain himself. "When you summoned me, I looked into your eyes and I searched for something, anything, but saw nothing. No joy, no passion, not even the will to live. It felt like looking into the void, and it terrified me. And seeing those eyes in someone so young I… I… "_

" _You lied to me out of pity." Alexander finished, remembering the day he met the rooster spirit and told him his entire story of his town being slaughtered, Grandine disappearing, and Wendy dying at sea._

" _I had to give you something to live for. Even if it meant telling you about a fake leg-" Gōngjī began to say, only to cut himself off. Alexander caught this and his eye widened._

" _A fake what?" He asked, sparks of red lighting starting to form around._

" _I...I…."_

" _Gōngjī. Answer me truthfully. No bullshit." The blue-haired man asked, his fists clenching and more crimson sparks beginning to appear. "Is the Miracle real?"_

" _... no. It's just a legend an ancient Celestial Wizard made up." Gōngjī said. And as soon as he did, Alexander felt his heart stop, and begin to break. For ten years, gathering the twelve red keys and using his Miracle to resurrect Wendy had been his one and only goal. Every time he had ever doubted himself, and it seemed like there was no hope at all, he would remind himself that this was all for Wendy._

_But now he knew the truth; it was all for nothing. There was no magic wish that would let him bring his little sister back to life. No way to atone for getting her killed because of his bone-headed decision._

_All of the battles he had endured. Losing his eye. Losing his ship. It all meant nothing._

_Wendy was dead. And he would never see her again._

" _Get out." Alexander whispered, red lightning violently surging around him._

" _Captain…" Gōngjī said, reaching out to comfort him, only to be zapped by the crimson lightning._

" _I SAID GET OUT!" The one-eyed man screamed in rage. Crimson lightning burst out of his body, blasting his apartment apart. A single stream of tears flowed out his eye, his face contorted and twisted by the pain of betrayal and absolute despair._

_Seeing this, Gōngjī knew there was nothing he could say to justify himself or to comfort his Wizard._

" _Alexander." The rooster spirit said, calling his master by his full name for the first time in years as he began to return to the Celestial World. "I'm sorry."_

_And so, Gōngjī disappeared in a flash of light, leaving Alexander alone once again. Soon enough, the red lightning ceased along with his anger. The one-eyed man then fell to his knees, grasping his hair as his tears flowed freely until finally, the man had cried himself to sleep._

_**Now…** _

Recalling the events of the other night did nothing to help Alexander's mood as he downed another mug. He hadn't mentioned his meeting with Gōngjī or the revelations that came along with it to anyone. Not his team, not his crew, not even Mirajane. After all, there was no need to trouble them with his misery.

In another part of town, Hoshi was walking out of the local Magic Weapon store with a disappointed sigh. Not only were they out of Leviathan Orbs, but, once again, they were charging a ridiculous price for a top-quality Gravity Staff. The cheapest one she'd ever found was at least three month's salary, on top of rent, food, and repairing and replacing her other staves, it looked like she'd never get her hands on one.

'I can't seem to catch a break with that, can I?' Hoshi said as she started to walk aimlessly, figuring that she'd probably go hang out at the guild hall. Until…

"Oh, f&*k!" She heard before hearing the sound of a box shattering on cobblestone. The behatted wizard turned and saw a green-haired girl placing a box on the ground while she scrambled through the shattered remains of another box.

"^(&(&(&(&(&T(+^(%(&$R(%!" The green-haired girl cursed as she picked up several stones of different colors. Since she had nothing else to do, Hoshi decided to help the girl out.

As Hoshi approached her, she realized it wasn't a girl, just a short woman. "Hey, you're Natalie, right?" Hoshi asked, making the smaller woman look up. The diminutive ring wizard squinted her eyes until she recognized the taller woman.

"Oh, you're Salamander's sister!" She said before going back to picking up her stones.

"Here, let me help you." The burgundy-haired wizard said before she began to pick up the stones as well. And upon closer examination on a light blue stone, Hoshi realized what the smaller wizard was carrying.

"A Frost Etherion Stone." She said, making Natalie's eyes widen in surprise.

"You know what that is?"

"Of course. I use orbs of them with my staffs." Hoshi explained. "I guess you're trading them in."

"Nope." Natalie replied, making Hoshi raise an eyebrow. "I'm forging these bad boys into new rings."

"You can do that?!"

"Of course. How do you think magical items are made?" Natalie said with a hint of glee.

"So, how are going to do forge them?" Hoshi asked, making the smile on Natalie's face widen.

_**And then…** _

Natalie led the Staff Wizard through the halls of Fairy Hills until they reached the Ring Wizard's room. When they entered, Hoshi noticed that while the rest of Natalie's room was rather plain, in the center was a large black anvil. Next to it was a tool rack that had tongs, hammers, and chisels.

Hoshi took a closer look at the anvil and saw that, while it had seen a lot of usage over the years, it was clear that Natalie took great care of it.

"And this is where the magic happens, so to speak." The green haired woman said as she put the box of Etherion Stones on the floor and placed the loose ones she and Hoshi had picked up in a large silver jar. She then proceeded to put on a pair of smelting gloves and work goggles before rubbing her hands.

"Let me show ya how it's done."

_**Later…** _

As soon as Natsu and Zeke entered the guildhall, the pink-haired dragon-slayer quickly looked for his sweetheart. And sure enough, he spotted her chatting with Lucy and Levy. He took a breath before feeling Zeke's hand on his shoulder.

"Go get her, dude." The archer said with a smile. Natsu smiled back at his friend before he started walking towards his girlfriend. And as Natsu walked away, Zeke couldn't help but be reminded of the day the dragon-slayer first asked Alyssa out.

_**Back then...** _

_The two of them were fourteen and in the midst of puberty. While Natsu had always liked Alyssa ever since they were kids, in recent years his feeling had begun to change. His eyes would linger on her for longer than normal, his stomach would feel strange and fluttery whenever he was near her, and her smile, when Alyssa smiled it made Natsu feel like he was walking on air. There was no denying it, the salmon-haired boy was in love._

_After speaking with Zeke, the two had come to the conclusion that the only solution was for Natsu ask her out on a date. With a slap on his back from his best friend, the dragon-slayer was off._

_Natsu, with the kind of nervous jitters that only a teenager could muster, walked over to Alyssa and Lisanna's table, barely catching the end of their conversation. Something about a phoenix sighting._

" _H-hi, Alyssa!" Natsu stuttered as his face became increasingly red. The budding Wizard noticed this and raised an eyebrow._

" _You okay, Natsu?" The orange haired girl asked while Lisanna looked on in amusement._

" _Y-ya! Totally! I just...I have a something to tell you."_

" _Okay. What is it?" Alyssa asked. And after taking a deep breath, Natsu said what needed to in a way only he could._

" _A-Alyssa, I like you! Please go out with me!"_

_Suddenly, Natsu realized all eyes were on him. He'd spoken loud enough to reach the ears of everyone in the guild, and now their eyes were trained on him and Alyssa, waiting for the girl's reaction with bated breath._

' _Crap.' Natsu though as he stood frozen in place. 'Stupid, stupid, stupid! Why couldn't I ask her out like a normal person?! She must hate me.'_

_He looked at Alyssa, expecting her to be furious at him for what he'd done. Instead, to the shock of him and many, she stood there with a blush on her face and a smile on her lips._

" _Yes. I'd love to." She said, her blushing growing even redder._

" _YAHOO!" Natsu yelled as he quite literally jumped for joy._

_**Now…** _

With a calm smile on his face, Natsu snuck behind Alyssa and placed a kiss on her cheek, making the orange-haired woman giggle.

"Hey, where have you been?" Alyssa asked.

"Over at Zeke's, talking about guy stuff." The salmon-haired man replied. "Say, you wanna go for a walk around town?"

"Sure." The orange-haired girl responded before getting up. "See ya, later guys!"

"See ya." Lucy said with a wave as her teammates went on their way. Zeke looked on at the two with a smile.

"Darling!" The archer turned and saw Juvia walking towards him, her smile as enchanting as ever.

"Hello, Juvia." Zeke said with a smile.

"You seem happy, today." the blue-haired woman said.

"Let's just say that the guild's gonna have something to celebrate tonight." Zeke said with a chuckle.

Back with Natsu and Alyssa, the salmon-haired man led the orange haired woman to the nearby riverbank.

"Hey, isn't this…" Alyssa began to say.

"Yup. This is where he had our first date." Natsu said as he sat down. Alyssa took a seat right next to him. "Geez, what a disaster that was."

"Oh come on, it wasn't…" the Speed Wizard began before the vivid memories of said date came rushing back to her. "...okay, yeah, it was pretty bad."

"I still remember how stupid that tuxedo looked." The salmon-haired dragon-slayer said with a chuckle.

"And I really should've checked to make sure that pie was still good." Alyssa replied with a laugh of her own as she remembered their first date and how terrible it was. From how stiff and awkward the two acted in their failed attempts to be mature, the rancid pie the two spat in each other's faces, and how it spiraled into them being chased by a swarm of bees. But even with how bad it turned out, Alyssa cherished those memories.

As the orange-haired woman reminisced, she didn't notice her boyfriend taking out the ring box from his pocket and getting on one knee. The amazonian woman turned and her breath hitched when she saw Natsu's stance and the box in his hands.

"Alyssa, being with you has been the greatest adventure of my life. And I want that adventure to continue until my dying breath. I want to stand by your side no matter what crazy thing comes our way."

And so, Natsu took a deep breath before opening the box, the amethyst ring glimmering in the sunlight, and his smile shining with the same warmth kindness he showed her the night they first met.

"Alyssa Grunewald, you will you marry me?"

For a moment, Alyssa was frozen, overwhelmed by what was happening. What she was feeling was almost indescribable; love, joy, excitement, they were pumping through her body in such vast amounts that she didn't know what to do.

But when she looked at Natsu's smile, the same smile that had brought her out of the darkness after the greatest tragedy of her life, everything became clear. Alyssa knew exactly what had to do.

With tears of joy running down her face, Alyssa tackled Natsu into a hug.

"Yes." She whispered before speaking up. "Yes, yes, yes! I can't imagine spending my life with anyone but you, Natsu."

After chuckling from her enthusiastic response, Natsu slipped the ring on her right ring finger, happier then he had ever been in his entire life.

"I love you." The dragon slayer said as he rested his hand on her cheek.

"And I love you." Alyssa said as she ran a hand through his hair.

And with the sun setting in the sky and reflecting on the engagement ring, the two closed the distance and kissed with more love and passion than ever, ready to take the next step in their life.

_**And then…** _

"I still can't believe you made that." Hoshi said as she and Natalie sat at the guild hall's bar. The green haired woman was admiring her work as her new Frost Ring shined in the light.

"Yup, she's a real beauty." Natalie said with a devilish grin.

"But I gotta say, it seems like more work when you can buy magic rings at any shop."

"Oh, please" The Ring Wizard scoffed. "Store-bought magic items are made of cheap material that the store owners polish to make them look pretty. And adding insult to injury is the fact that they charge you up the ass for them."

Hoshi thought about this and realized that the smaller woman had a point. "You might be right. Most Gravity Staves I've seen usually go for around 300,000 Jewels or higher."

"Exactly! You can probably make a Gravity Staff for less than half that. Hell, I could teach you how to make it if ya wanted."

Without warning, Natalie felt Hoshi grab her hand. She looked and saw the behatted woman's eyes practically sparkling with excitement.

"Natalie, I think you and I are gonna be good friends."

The ring wizard was taken aback before smiling and shaking her hand, happy that she finally had someone to chat with about forging.

"Aw, our little girl's growing up." Robin said with a motherly tone while Gajeel just scoffed, the two watching the exchange from their table. However, he had a quiet chuckle as the wire wizard was sporting some fresh bruises thanks to her earlier sexcapade.

Everyone continued to go about their evening, until the doors burst open with a loud crash by Natsu's kick, Alyssa following close behind.

"Reggie, bring out the good stuff! We're partying hard tonight!" The dragon-slayer shouted with a toothy smile.

"What's the occasion, Natsu?" Wakaba asked.

"WE GOT ENGAGED!" Alyssa shouted with glee, wrapping her arm around Natsu's shoulder and holding her ring up for everyone to see. The entire guild went quiet for a second before…

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Mirajane squealed with glee, dropping a tray of food.

"Congrats, guys!" Zeke shouted.

"NOW THAT'S MANLY!" Elfman exclaimed.

"Alright, everyone! Pay up!" Cana shouted. "They got engaged before either of them turned twenty-five!"

"Damn it." Gray grumbled as he handed the Card Wizard 5000 Jewels. Wakaba, Levy, Jet, Droy, and Evergreen pulled out the same amount.

"I knew it was only a matter of time." Lucy said as she gave Alyssa a congratulatory hug while Makarov shook Natsu's hand.

"Good on you, my boy." The former guild master happily said.

"Thanks, Gramps."

"So when's the wedding, you guys?" Hoshi asked.

"We haven't really decided yet." Alyssa said.

"So does that mean you're my mother for real now?" Happy asked, back in his smaller form and flying in front of him.

"That's right, Happy." The orange-haired woman replied.

"YAY!" The blue cat cheered before hugging Alyssa as tightly as he could.

"I call dibs on being a bridesmaid!" Mirajane exclaimed with her hand held up. "Oh, this is wonderful! Imagine it; soon you'll be married and then we'll see pink-haired, purple-eyed babies running around the guild! Or maybe orange-haired, black-eyed babies!"

"B-Babies?" Juvia whispered, her face turning bright red and her body steaming. In her mind, she began to see visions of brown-haired, blue-eyed children along with blue-haired, green-eyed children.

"A TOAST TO THE HAPPY COUPLE!" A completely plastered Alexander shouted before taking another swing of rum and falling out of his chair. "Ow. I fell on my keys."

But while everyone else was celebrating, Erza was a million miles away. At this moment, it was abundantly clear to the redhead that while she was  _clearly_ a better wizard than her rival, when it came to romance, she couldn't be farther behind. She then gained a steely look in her eyes before marching up to Reginald.

"Uh- what is it, Erza?" The blond archer said, confused by the redhead's intense demeanor.

"Tomorrow night. You and me. The Chateau. Eight o'clock."

"Um...okay." The Slide Wizard replied. And while he was confused at Erza's sudden demand, he was happy that for once, the Re-Quip wizard was the one who asked him out.

The celebration of Natsu and Alyssa's engagement carried on well into the night, which would certainly result in more than a few hangovers. But, unbeknownst to anyone, an elderly woman in an orange shaolin monk's robe arrived at the outskirts of Magnolia.

'Magnolia's bigger than I remember.' She thought before her expression turned to anger. In the distance, she saw her destination; the Fairy Tail Guildhall.

_To be continued…_


	16. Dragon VS Rhino

_Chapter 16: Dragon VS Rhino_

It was another day at the Fairy Tail guild, with everyone going about their usual routines.

"You're sure that's what you saw?" Lucy asked as she and the seven members of Team Morningstar were sitting at the same table.

"I'm telling you, she was sleeping standing up right in the street." Zeke explained before taking a bite of his sandwich. "Some people are just plain weird."

"Ya, no kidding." Lucy replied. She grimaced at the thought of how wacky or even downright insane her spirits and guildmates acted at times.

Unbeknownst to anyone, the very same woman Zeke had been talking about entered the guild hall, her cane tapping against the wooden floor and her orange robes scuffed and dusty from the long journey. The lady looked around and for a brief moment, her face convening a bittersweet smile on it as she took in the new guild hall.

The woman turned to the sound of approaching footsteps to see a young man with long green hair wearing a crimson coat.

"Hello, Miss. Welcome to Fairy Tail." Freed greeted with an open hand.

"Oh my, such a polite young man." The old lady said, shaking the green-haired man's hand. "Young man, you wouldn't happen to know where Natsu Dragneel is, do you?"

"He's over there with his team." The Dark Ecriture wizard pointed to Team Morningstar's table, Natsu's salmon hair in plain view.

"I see. Thank you, young man." The elderly woman said with a smile. And then, without warning, she tossed her cane and hit Natsu in the back of the head, causing his face to slam against the table.

Natsu peeled his face off the table with an enraged scowl. "WHO THE HELL THREW THAT?! YOU WANNA START SOMETHING!" The Dragon Slayer shouted with his head ablaze.

"You have some explaining to do, you hooligan!" The old woman shouted in anger, surprising Freed.

"So it's you! You- wait," the salmon haired Wizard as he looked at the diminutive woman, a confused look on his face. "Who the hell are you?" Natsu said, drawing a blank.

"You guys know who this short bat is?" A slightly drunk Alexander asked.

"No idea." Alyssa replied, glaring at the older woman.

"Don't play dumb!" The short woman shouted. "I've been waiting at the temple for almost three months! Day after day, I've sat in the dojo waiting for you to show up and see if you're worthy of my training! So last week, I got fed up and decided to see what in the name of the Firsts is taking you so long! And what do I find?! YOU SITTING ON YOUR ASS JUST CHATTING IT UP!"

"Lady, I don't have any idea who you are and why you were waiting for me!" Natsu shouted back.

"What did I just say about playing dumb?! Makarov must've told you about me!"

"Did something mention my name?" Makarov said with stretch, having just finished a power nap in the clinic. After rubbing his eyes out, he saw the woman and a smile appeared on his face.

"Ju! Good to see you finally leave the temple!" The Titan Wizard said with a smile.

"Nice to see you too, Maki." The lady greeted before pointing her thumb towards Natsu. "Although I can't say I'm impressed with the latest generation of Fairy Tail kids."

"Oh?" The former Guild Master raised an eyebrow. "Why's that?"

"As soon as this Natsu hooligan unlocked his Beast Aura, you told him where to find me and begin his training. And yet he's spent the last three months lazing about."

Natsu grit his teeth harder as Ju continued to talk. Not since Gray had he felt something get on his nerves so quickly. Meanwhile, Ju looked at her old friend and saw Makarov had a confused look on his face.

"You did point him my way, right, Maki?"

"Um… see… it kind of slipped my mind." Makarov said with an embarrassed look on his face. Ju said nothing in response, her face unreadable as she picked up her cane and then looked back at Makarov.

(Music Que - CanCan Fairy Tail Version)

"You...DUMBASS!" Ju shouted before wacking Makarov over the head with her cane.

"No freakin' way!" Bickslow shouted, sharing in everyone's shock that this old woman had the audacity to strike their former Guild Master. However, before anyone could say anything, Makarov grit his teeth.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?!" The diminutive man shouted before punching Ju across the guild hall, landing her in the bar, much to the shock of Mirajane and Reginald.

"You promised that if anyone at Fairy Tail awakened a Beast Aura, you'd send them my way!" Ju shouted, not even bothered by the attack. "I never thought you'd be the kind of man to go back on your promises!"

"I made that promise more than twenty years ago! You can't expect me to remember every conversation we've ever had, Ju!" Makarov shouted back, his forehead veins almost bursting. "And incase you haven't been reading the papers, this guild's been through some crazy shit recently!"

"You're over exaggerating!"

"Would you call a war with Phantom Lord and Laxus's attempting a coup d'état over-exaggerating, you stubborn piece of rhino dung?!"

"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME, PERVY IMP?!" Ju exclaimed as she charged at Makarov.

"YOU HEARD ME, FIST-FOR-BRAINS!" The former guild master yelled out before the two began to trade blows. As everyone looked on in shock, disbelief, and dumbfoundedness, Zeke had this to say.

"You know, they kind of remind me of Natsu and Gray." The archer commented.

"Or Alyssa and Erza." Happy chimed in.

"We're not that bad, are we?" Alyssa asked quietly as more debris was sent flying.

"Eh, more or less," Lucy replied.

"They're both pretty manly." Elfman commented while his team watched the scuffle.

"No argument there." Cana chimed in.

"Seriously? It's not even Happy Hour and you guys are already causing a ruckus." Lyle said as walked down the stairs. "Some of us are trying to get some paperwork done."

The current guild master then looked at the source of the noise and saw Makarov and Ju, with the latter biting the former's head.

"When did Ms. Liu get here?" Lyle asked he approached Team Morningstar's table.

"You know that cranky old bat, Master?" Hoshi asked, getting a nod in response.

"Her full name is Ju Liu, one of the greatest wizards of Fairy Tail's second generation, she's a master of Beast Aura Magic and Makarov's old teammate."

"Those two were on the same team?!" Lucy shouted in surprise right Makarov kicked Ju in the chest. In the meantime, Natsu's eyes widened when he heard she was a master of Beast Aura and her earlier statements.

"They sure don't act like it." Alexander commented as he took a swig of rum, Lyle sighed in response.

"I know. The two of them are in their golden years and they're still bickering like children." The Absorption Wizard stated before turning to Erza. "Erza, be a dear and stop them, will you."

"Very well." Erza stated before calmly walking towards the brawling elders. Before the two could throw another punch at each other, the redhead quickly grabbed their heads.

"QUIT IT, YOU TWO!" The Re-Quip wizard shouted before slamming their heads together, knocking the wind of them.

(Music Que End)

"Well, that's Erza for ya." Gray said with nervous sweat dripping down his face, remembering how many times his team leader had done that to him and Natsu over the years. Speaking of Natsu, the scarf-wearing man walked towards the old woman as she rubbed her aching head.

"You're really a master of Beast Aura magic, Granny?" Natsu asked.

"That's correct." Ju said as she stopped rubbing her head.

"Awesome!" The salmon haired man shouted. "To be honest, I've kind of been having some trouble getting the hang of it, so it'd be cool of you if you could teach me how to use it."

Ju said nothing, her face became unreadable one more, her features almost like carved stone. Then she smirked. "That's pretty presumptuous of you."

"Pre-what?"

"Makarov was supposed to send you my way, but I wouldn't have just started your training then and there. You see, the power of Beast Aura Magic is not something to be taken lightly. Mastery of it is only achieved by the most dedicated of Wizards, so you must prove yourself worthy to be trained."

"So I just gotta pass a test, huh?" Natsu asked before cracking his knuckles. "Alright, fair enough. What do I gotta do?"

And in response, Ju began to cackle, a vicious look in her eyes.

_**And then…** _

"Taking all bets!" Cana shouted as she took wagers. Everyone had gathered at the back of the guildhall, with Natsu and Ju standing on opposite sides. As it turns out, the test of worthiness that Ju mentioned was a trial by combat. Naturally, Natsu was more than willing to go through with it, especially since he figured this would be good payback for earlier.

"So, who do ya think is gonna win?" Wakaba asked his teammates as he lit his pipe.

"Can't say for sure." Macao replied. "It's been so long since we've seen Miss Liu fight."

"Well, she's clearly still fit enough for hand-to-hand combat." Lyle stated. "Now it's just a matter of if she's been keeping up her training."

Meanwhile, Team Morningstar was set up to watch the battle. Zeke had his notebook ready, Lucy and Alexander were sitting on a blanket, secretly excited to see the battle unfold, Alyssa was wishing her fiance luck along with Happy and Hoshi.

The two foes did some stretches before the battle began.

"Before we begin, let me make one thing clear." The diminutive woman stated before looking Natsu dead in the eye. "I want you to give it your all."

"Are you sure?" The salmon haired Dragon Slayer asked. "I wouldn't want to break ya, Granny."

With the same unmoving expression as before, Ju tossed her crane away and took a stance, her body now sideways with her left side ahead, her arm held out. And then, without warning, a yellow effigy of a rhino appeared around her, its horn encasing her arm.

"Better wizards than you have tried."

With his signature smirk, Natsu cracked his knuckles before launching ahead with his fist engulfed in orange fire.

" _Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"_

But as the salmon-haired wizard closed in on his target, Ju's Rhino effigy vanished. She then jumped into the air, used Natsu's extended arm as a springboard, and finished it off by spin-kicking him in the back of the head.

"Did you see that?!" Levy shouted.

"She's pretty fast and agile for someone that old." Jet said while Makarov continued to watch, an amused smirk on his face.

Natsu quickly got over his disorientation before turning around, sucking a big breath of air as he did.

" _Fire Dragon's Roar!"_

But Ju did not cower in the face of the infernal torrent. Instead, she simply bent her back, the fire spell missing her by mere centimeters until it dissipated. Natsu then decided to charge with an Iron Fist attack again, but the brown-eyed woman once more jumped out of the way. For the next minute, it continued like this, with Natsu seemingly unable to even hit Ju with melee attacks or fire thanks to her surprising agility.

"How is she dodging all of Natsu's attacks?" Lucy asked.

"Is that all you got?" The elderly woman asked in a taunting fashion as she evaded another barrage of kicks and punches. "I thought you were one of Fairy Tail's strongest up-and-comers. But I guess those stories were just overblown nonsense."

Natsu grit his teeth, his patience wearing thin. His fire flowed around him, exploding as it changed from orange to azure.

"Oh, you're just asking for it now, you old crow!" The salmon-haired wizard shouted as his arms became encased in the azure flames. He then reared his right arm back.

" _Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!"_

Like before, Ju jumped into the air to evade the streaming fire. However, this was what Natsu wanted, as he immediately launched a second Wing Attack spell with his left arm, catching his foe by surprise. With no time to dodge, Ju held her left arm out, channeling her magic around it.

" _Beast Aura: Rhino Horn!"_ And with a vertical slash, she cut the stream of azure magic in half, much to the shock of the younger Fairy Tail members. The Beast Aura Master then landed on the ground, revealing that her left arm was covered in a yellow horn effigy.

While most of the Fairy Tail members were in disbelief about Natsu's fire being cut in half, the more intelligent members (like Zeke, Erza, Levy, and Gray) realized how this had even happened, summarizing that the horn construct around her arm was sharpened by her mana to an incredibly fine point. As such, when she swung the horn, it disrupted the mana flow of Natsu's Wing Attack, hence why it was cut.

"So you can actually be clever." Ju taunted, pissing Natsu off even more. With fire around his limbs, the dragon-slayer charged at the elderly woman again. Like before, she leaped and dodged his blows, but this time, she swung her horn arm at Natsu. The dragon-slayer barely managed to evade the horn, leaving a cut on his face. She then thrust her horn arm forward, but Natsu's instincts kicked in.

" _Fire Dragon's Shield!"_ The sudden burst of azure flames forced Ju back and gave Natsu a chance to cast his next spell as he condensed the fire around him.

"Oh, shit!" Zeke proclaimed as he summoned Emerald Aegis.

"He's going for the Supernova already?!" Happy shouted.

"What the hell's the Supernova?" Gray asked.

"That's the spell Salamander used to beat me." Gajeel explained, recalling his battle with Natsu.

"Wait...didn't that spell destroy the old guildhall?" Cana asked fearfully.

"Yup." Zeke said as he used Aegis to conjure up a massive shield around the audience, something at Ju took note of.

"Try dodging this!" Natsu shouted as the azure flames built up within him. " _Fire Dragon's Supernova!"_

And with that proclamation, the salmon-haired dragon-slayer unleashed a gigantic inferno of flames that consumed him, his foe, and the surrounding cliff. And it turned out that's Zeke idea of summoning Emerald Aegis was a good one as the barrier was the only thing protecting the rest of the guild members and the guildhall.

"I can still feel the heat!" Laki screamed as the inferno continued to blaze.

'I can't believe I ever fought this guy!' Kageyama exclaimed mentally.

But while many were almost disbelieving of Natsu's power, Gray just watched the spell in shock. He had been aware that Natsu was far stronger than their previous bouts had led him to believe. The Azure Flames were proof of that. But seeing him unleash this torrent made him release that the divide between them had slowly begun to grow.

Soon, the flames dyed down, revealing the scorched ground and Natsu, panting from having cast one of his most powerful spells. He had believed he had finally gained the upper hand on his older foe...for about five seconds before the smoke cleared and revealed that Ju had summoned another Rhino effigy to protect herself while she had taken a defensive stance within it. The effigy then shattered, showing that she hadn't even been touched by the massive spell, nor did she show any signs of fatigue.

"Is that it?" She asked, a look of disappointment on her face. "Honestly, I was expecting more out the great Salamander."

"H-how did you…" Natsu asked while Zeke lowered Emerald Aegis' barrier.

"First off, your fighting style reeks of sloppy improvisation with no technique whatsoever. The same can be said for your strategy, or lack thereof. And since this fight began, you've been throwing spell after spell with no regard for your mana. Just look at you! You're already short on breath!"

As Natsu growled his teeth, Ju just shook her head. "If this is all that you're capable of, then you don't even deserve that emblem on your arm!"

The stunned silence that followed that was so pervasive, you could hear a pin drop.

"D-Did she just…" Lucy asked.

"Ya, she did." Elfman said, clenching his fists in anger.

"That was uncalled for." Juvia stated.

"Hey, f*&k you, you old hag!" Alyssa shouted in defense of her fiance.

"You might as well quit Fairy Tail now! You do nothing but bring shame to our mark!"

"Take that back." Natsu said under his breath, his eyes covered by his hair.

"Huh? What was that?" Ju asked, once more in a taunting tone. "You'll need to speak up, sonny! My hearing ain't what it used to be!"

"I said…" The dragon-slayer began to say as the azure flames began to swirl around him again. "...TAKE! THAT! BACK!"

And with a roar worthy of a dragon, Natsu's fires changed from azure to crimson. The fire then began to solidify and morph around him, creating an effigy of a crimson dragon behind him.

'So this is the magic that defeated Laxus.' Freed thought as the crowd was blown away by the sight of Natsu's Second Origin.

'Well, about time you unleashed your inner animal.' Ju thought with a smirk. 'Now, what will you do with it?'

"I'll make you eat those words, Granny!" Natsu shouted as he held his arms out. " _Beast Aura: Dragon Claws!"_

The dragon effigy transformed into magical aura, which surrounded Natsu's arms and solidified into claw constructs. The enraged dragon-slayer then blasted ahead at his foe, forcing Ju to once again conjure up her Rhino Horn to block the following barrage of claw strikes. However, the old woman stood her ground, blocking Natsu's attacks no matter what angle he struck from.

"Zeke, you see it too, right?" Erza asked the archer. With a solemn look, the brunette shook his head.

"What you talking about? Natsu's got his Beast Aura flowing! He's going to kick that mean old lady's butt!" Happy said, looking up to his friends. However, he was only met with looks of worry or seriousness. "Right?"

"Happy, take a closer look." Alexander said. The blue cat did just that, paying close attention to the fight. And that's when he started to piece together. Compared to before, Natsu's attacks were far more sluggish than before while the flames around him were starting to flicker out. Even more telling was the fact the increasing amount of sweat all over his body.

"But...I don't get it! How is Natsu so exhausted?"

"It's just like she said." Alyssa explained through grit teeth. "Ever since the fight began, Natsu's been trying to overwhelm Liu with his magic. He's used all of his signature spells, some more than twice, and the Supernova."

"Compared to that, Miss Liu's only used three spells so far." Juvia chimed in. "From what we've seen, that Horn spell probably doesn't take that much mana. So she's still got plenty of magic to spare while Natsu's almost completely drained."

"And that's without taking his anger into account." Elfman chimed in. "Everything she's said has been specifically aimed to get under his skin. And as real man, I can understand Natsu's rage, but it's clouded his mind and made his attacks sloppy."

"In short, she's been playing Natsu the entire time." Zeke finished off as Natsu and Ju continued their battle.

Still enraged, Natsu decided that he was going to end this battle now. With Beast Aura around his leg, Natsu backed up, roared, and performed a spin kick, launching the still unnamed spinning disk spell at Ju. The old woman raised her Horn arm to block the spell, sparks flying off the two Beast Aura spells as they collided. But as she managed to deflect it, Natsu blasted into the air and a giant crimson magic circle appeared behind him.

" _With the flames in my right hand and flames in my left!"_ The salmon-haired wizard chanted as crimson fire engulfed his claws. As he did so, Ju dissipated her Horn spell, and took the stance she had back when the battle had started, only this time, she also reared her right hand back.

" _Put the two together…"_ Natsu continued, smashing the two flames together above his head to create a massive crimson fireball. " _...AND THIS IS WHAT YOU GET! FIRE DRAGON'S BRILLIANT FLAME!"_

And with the chant finished, Natsu tossed the massive fireball down at his foe with all the strength left in his body. However, while most would be terrified of a gigantic fireball being launched at them, Ju stood her ground, looking straight up at it.

" _I call to the animal within!"_ The old woman chanted as a yellow magic circle appeared under her. " _Beast Aura: Rhino Charge!"_

She then thrust her right arm upward, and a full-sized rhino effigy launched from her roaring as it charged at the Brilliant Flame spell. At first, many Fairy Tail members within the crowd believed that this would lead to the two spells colliding with each other and creating a powerful backlash. However, the Rhino Charge aimed its horn at the fireball, and while it seemed to struggle against the spell for a second, it soon pushed ahead, parting the colossal fire spell and causing it to dissipate.

But the spell didn't stop there as it charged at the still airborne Natsu, who had no time to evade the oncoming effigy as it raised its front legs up and smashed him into the ground them with. The salmon haired Dragon Slayer hit the ground so hard he threw up.

"NATSU!" His team yelled as they ran towards him while the others were stunned that one of their strongest members was taken out.

"She...she beat Natsu?" Romeo asked, unable to comprehend his idol being defeated.

"Damn." Gajeel stated in awe. And as Morningstar helped pick the unconscious Natsu up and took him to the guild's medical wing, Ju looked at her defeated opponent with a curious expression.

_**And then…** _

"Uhhhhhhhh." Natsu groaned as he regained consciousness. What became apparent immediately to the dragon-slayer was the soreness all over his body. "What hit me?"

"A giant yellow rhino." Natsu looked up and saw his teammates sitting near his bed, Zeke being the one who answered him while Alyssa held his hand.

"Cripes, Salamander. Either you're getting sloppy or that old coot is insanely strong." Alexander slurred.

"Okay, how much you had to drink today?" Hoshi asked.

Alexander began counting with his fingers before turning to the Staff Wizards. "I lost count. Can you lend me your fingers?" At which Hoshi just sighed.

Natsu said nothing, his face scrunched in contemplation as he looked over his body, which was covered in medical wrappings. His mood then shifted into visible anger as Liu's insults replayed in his mind.

"Guys, am I an idiot?" Natsu asked, surprising his teammates.

"Where did that come from?" Lucy asked.

"I lost to an old lady! She didn't even use half as much magic as I did!" The dragon-slayer stated. "I've beat up demons, evil wizards, a giant worm man and Laxus, for crying out loud! How did I lose to her?!"

"Wait a second? Are you talking about Lullaby?" Happy asked. "Zeke, Alyssa, Gray, and Erza fought it alongside you."

"And you and me beat Yaza together with Blazing Aegis." Zeke explained. "And Jackson fought Laxus before you beat him."

Hearing this made Natsu think back to his previous battles and he started to connect the dots. He only managed to defeat Zalty and Gajeel by surprising them with his Supernova Spell. When he battled Laxus, his mind was filled with so much rage that it blocked out the pain from his attacks. According to Zeke, it was a miracle that the two managed to actually pull off a first-time Unity Link without killing themselves.

Then there was his battle with Fuyu, and how even with Zeke and Alyssa fighting with him, it was still incredibly one-sided to point where they needed to retreat.

Liu's words replayed in his mind once more.

" _First off, your fighting style reeks of sloppy improvisation with no technique whatsoever. The same can be said for your strategy, or lack thereof. And since this fight began, you've been throwing spell after spell with no regard for your mana. Just look at you! You're already short on breath!"_

"So you're up already." The seven wizards turned and saw Ju Liu standing in the doorway with her cane in hand. "Well, I suppose quick recovery is an admirable trait."

"What the hell do you want?" Alyssa asked in anger, still pissed off by the remarks the woman made about her fiance.

"I simply wanted to see Dragneel's condition before I left." Ju stated. Natsu looked at her and the old woman saw the clear anger in his eyes. "But before I go, let me say this, Natsu Dragneel; you may be a hot-headed fool, but you can put up one hell of a fight. I wish you the best of luck in your future battles."

Ju began to turn and leave, until…

"NOW WAIT JUST A DAMN MINUTE!" Natsu shouted, quickly getting out of bed and almost falling on his face, only for Alyssa to catch him.

"Easy, sweetie. You're still injured!"

"No, I need to say this!" The dragon-slayer exclaimed before getting his footing back and pointing at Liu. "Listen up, Granny! You got a lot of nerve saying I don't deserve to be a member of Fairy Tail! You're short-tempered, rude, and you managed to get under my skin and piss me off more than even stupid Gray!"

As he said this, Natsu stomped past his teammates until he was standing in front of the old woman. "And you even had the balls to insult my fighting style! So let me tell you something, you tiny old grump!"

And then Natsu did the unexpected and got on his hands and knees with his head held down. "PLEASE, TAKE ME UNDER YOUR WING!"

"HUH?!" The rest of Team Morningstar exclaimed in shock while Liu just blinked in surprise.

"What brought this on?" The Beast Aura Master asked.

"I thought about what you said to me during our battle. And I hate to admit it, but you're right. I've always charged headfirst into battles with the intent of just beating up my opponents or overwhelming them with my magic. And when it comes to plans, I usually just let someone else come up with them."

"Natsu." Zeke said in surprise.

"My victories, the ones I can actually call my own, have been through dumb luck or blinding rage." The dragon-slayer stated before looking at the lady. "It's clear that it's not just Beast Aura I need help with, but how I approach battles too. So even though I failed, I just gotta ask that you give me another way to prove myself! That I can be worthy of your teachings!"

The rest of Team Morningstar said nothing, genuinely shocked at how out-of-character Natsu was acting. Ju Liu said nothing before a genuine smile came to her face.

"Another way to prove yourself? Why you've already passed, sonny."

"… wait, what?" The salmon haired man asked in confusion, making the woman chuckle.

"I had the same reaction when my master told me what I'm telling you. You see, the true test wasn't to see if you could defeat me in battle; it was how you treated defeat. In my life, I've seen how poorly one's loss can damage their ego. They often come with some cockamany excuse for why they lost, swear vengeance against the victor, or even believe that all needed was more raw power. But instead of doing any of those things, you swallowed your pride and realized your own faults, which more than most would be willing to admit. And that is the first rule of Shou Quantou."

"Shou Quantou?" Lucy asked.

"Rule #1; Before you can grow stronger, you must know your weakness." She then held her hand out to the salmon-haired man. "Congratulations, Natsu Dragneel! From this moment on, I will not only teach you the inner workings of your Beast Aura Magic, but also the discipline required to bring out your full potential!"

Natsu said nothing before a smile came onto his face and he shook her hand. "I promise I won't let ya down, Granny."

"You can start by not calling me Granny, you hooligan."

And for the third time in his life, Natsu had unintentionally laid down the foundations of a life-changing relationship.

_**And then…** _

"So you're really gonna train Natsu, huh?" Makarov asked as he sat next to Ju at the bar. The woman nodded in response.

"Truth be told, I needed a change of pace from maintaining the temple."

"What about that whole 'achieving enlightenment' thing?"

"Eh. I gave up on that after the eighth year of seclusion." The brown-eyed woman explained. "And it clearly had an effect on my technique."

"How so?" The former guildmaster asked.

"In my hayday, I would've beaten that hooligan with one spell." Fi stated as she thought back to Natsu's improvised move with his Wing Attack spell and how it caught her by surprise. "And I wouldn't have had to say anything so awful to him to get under his skin." She honestly felt horrible about telling him he was unworthy of the Fairy Tail guild mark.

"Well, you're not exactly a spring chicken anymore." Makarov said with a chuckle. "Then again, who am I to talk?"

The two elderly wizards shared a hearty laugh. As they did, Makarov couldn't help but remember his youth and his and Ju's old team. Balam, Yajima, Goldmine, Porlyusica, Bob, and...poor Roberd and his dear, departed Elizabeth.

"If we could convince Balam and Porly to come out of their holes and the others to take some time off, we could have a Midsummer Knights reunion." Makarov said with a mix of mirth and sadness.

"Ya." Ju said, catching her friend's hidden meaning without saying anything. "Oh, by the way, Maki; I'm going to be staying at your place while I'm in town."

"WHAT?! WHY?!" Makarov shouted in surprise. "Can't you just stay at a hotel?! Heck, I'll pay for it."

"Well, I wouldn't have had to come all this way if you'd sent the hooligan to me. So, since it's your fault, you'll be taking care of me."

'Goddamn Rhino,' Makarov thought to himself. But while he was scowling on the outside, inside, he was slightly amused. 'You haven't changed a bit in all these years.'

As so the two continued to chat, the lights of the guildhall illuminating not the building, but also the wall of pictures on the second floor. This wall held pictures of the individual members of Fairy Tail past and present, but also several teams.

One of these consisted of a smiling brown-haired girl in an orange gi giving a victory salute, a black-haired boy giving a toothy smirk as he crouched, a pink-haired girl in a black dress giving a small smile, a black-haired pretty boy, another teen that looked like a gangster, a smiling girl with dark green hair sitting next to the crouching boy, a tan-skinned boy flexing his arms, and a teen who wore a cowboy hat over his dark red hair. The bottom of the photo had two words on a silver plague;

Midsummer Knights.

_To be continued…_


	17. The Training Begins

_Chapter 17: The Training Begins_

_**Gehenna Castle…** _

In a canyon not marked on any map, suspended almost two miles in the air by Etherion chains embedded deep into the gray canyon walls, stood Gehenna Castle. It was a terrifying and haunting sight to behold; built from black stone and gray metal, it was a nightmare come to life. Centuries ago, it was the home and fortress of a family of evil Wizards who practiced the most vile and atrocious of Dark Magics, and in it, they housed hundreds of prisoners who they performed cruel and unspeakable experiments on. Even to this day, one could still feel an aura of darkness permeate its walls, hanging in the air like miasma.

When the Fioren army, after decades of failed attempts, finally managed to break through Gehenna Castle's defenses and execute the family for their unspeakable crimes, they were presented with a golden opportunity. Rather than leave the castle to rot or destroy it, Queen Hyacinth declared 'A home for the wicked it was, a home for the wicked it shall remain,' and Gehenna Castle was gutted and renovated into one the most infamous prisons on the continent.

And so, for the last four-hundred years, Gehenna Castle has served as an inescapable prison for the most vile and dangerous criminals in Fiore's history. Suspended two miles in the air by etherion chains, and located in an unmarked canyon, this ensured that even if an inmate did somehow managed to escape this repurposed lair, they would only be met with death.

Each cell inside the massive prison was constructed specifically to counteract the magic of the inmate within. Some cells had lightning rods to redirect and absorb Lightning Magic, some had hoses that would blast Fire Wizards, and others were inscribed with with runes to prevent use of Requip, and other magics that manipulated space-time.

Although, there was one cell in particular that was considered the strangest of them all.

This cell was a peculiar one indead. Instead of stone and metal, it was made entirely of wood. Specifically, it was made from the wood of the Elkan Tree, known for being as strong and durable as any metal. The same was true for the bed, the mirror, and even the toilet.

The resident of this odd cell was a large framed, muscular man in his late forties with crew cut brown hair, a well kept beard, hard brown eyes, a long nose, square face, and square jaw. Like all other prisoners of Gehenna Castle, his outfit consisted of a black and white striped jumpsuit with his name sewn into the left pectoral in red; B. Teagan.

Teagan's daily routine, like all the other inmates', was extremely boring and predictable. Day in and day out it was exactly the same, sleep for eight hours, spend four hours in his cell, be let out for 'recess' for eight hours, and then be sent back for another four hours before lights out.

The monotony was enough to drive a man mad.

But something was about to disrupt Teagan's routine and, that something was arriving right now.

Teagan looked up as he heard the first door to his cell open and close.

'The hell's going on,' Teagan thought as the inner door opened to reveal a tall, fair-skinned young man with medium length blue hair, dark green eyes, and a red tattoo over his right eye. He was flanked by two guards dressed identically in dull grey armor over dark blue shirts and pants. The man also carried a large briefcase made entirely of polished wood.

"Good day, Mr. Teagan." The blue haired man asked.

"Who the fuck are you?" He asked.

The blue haired man simply smiled. "Not even a hello, oh well," he turned to the guards. "Gentlemen, would you be so kind to leave us alone?"

The guards looked at each other wearily before one of them spoke up. "I'm sorry sir, but we can't just leave you alone with a criminal as dangerous as Teagan."

"I assure you, I can more than take care of myself. Besides," he said gesturing to the cell "there's no way for him to use his magic, he's perfectly harmless." Teagan scowled at that comment, but the blue-haired man didn't seem to notice, and if he did, he didn't care.

Reluctantly, the guards left the room, leaving Teagan and the blue haired man alone.

"Well then," the blue-haired man said. He snapped his fingers and the briefcase levitated into the air before opening up and transforming into a small table laden with a teapot, two teacups, and saucers, and variety of teas as two collapsable chairs sprang out on opposites sides of the table. And it was all made of wood.

"Please, have a seat Mr. Teagan, or would you prefer I call you Bernard," the blue-haired man said as he sat down.

Scowling, Bernard said nothing and did as he was asked.

"A little bird told me you're a fan of tea; tell me, what kind do you like?" The blue haired man asked.

"Are you going to tell who the fuck you are?" Bernard asked, glaring at the stranger.

He simply smiled again. "After, you tell me what tea you like."

"… I'm a fan of Earl Gray." Bernard said, exasperated.

"An excellent choice," he said as he scooped loose tea in the teapot full of piping hot water.

"Now allow me to introduce myself," the blue-haired man said with a devious smile. "My name is Siegrain Fernandes."

Bernard just stared blankly at Siegrain, unimpressed. "… am I supposed to know who the fuck you are? Cause your name's not ringing any bells."

"Right, right, I guess it's hard to keep up to date with the outside world when you're stuck in a maximum security prison." The blue-haired man stated. "I am a Wizard Saint, and the Tenth Seat of the Magic Council."

"Oh, well in that case… you can go fuck yourself." Tegan replied, flipping him off for good measure.

"Come on. There's no need for that." Siegrain replied. "After all, I'm not the one who sentenced you here."

Siegrain pulled out a variety of condiments from a hidden compartment. "How do you take your tea, milk, sugar, honey, straight?" He asked, that devious smile never leaving his face.

Teagan sighed and said "I like honey and lemon," then swore under his breath.

Siegrain passed Teagan a jar of honey and a small bowl of lemons wedges and took a pitcher of milk for himself. "I've actually come to make you an offer."

Bernard skeptically raised an eyebrow at him.

"Tea should be done," Siegrain said as he both himself and Bernard a cup of Earl Gray. He looked up at the other man's face. "I can see you don't exactly trust me."

"Yeah, and why should I? What the hell would a member of the Magic Council want with me?" Bernard said as he scooped honey and squeezed a lemon wedge into his tea.

"Simple," Siegrain said as he poured milk into his tea, while Bernard brought his cup to his lips. "I want to pardon you."

Normally, in a situation like this you'd expect someone to choke on, and spit out their drink after hearing shocking news like that, but Bernard simply leveled a glare at the blue haired man and went back to sipping his tea.

"Nice try, kid, but I know when I'm being played. Why the hell would you want to pardon me? Answer, you don't, you're just trying to mess with me; and you're doing a lousy fucking job at it." Bernard took another sip of his tea.

'Not the reaction I was expecting,' Siegrain thought, slightly perturbed.

"I can assure you Mr. Teagan, this is no joke," the Wizard Saint said as put down his teacup.

"You see, there's a job I need done, and you're just the man I need for it." Siegrain smiled again, his eyes never leaving Bernard.

"If you need a job done, just go to a guild." The brown-haired man said with a scowl as he glanced at his left forearm.

"That's the thing though, what I want you to do isn't exactly legal." The young Wizard Saint explained as it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"And what makes you think I'd do anything like that? Bad enough I'm already in here, but if you do pardon me and I get caught, these fuckers won't hesitate to give me a 'close shave.'" Bernard ran his finger over his neck for emphasis.

"But you haven't even heard the best part," The blue haired Wizard Saint stated as he held up two fingers. "If you agree to this job, not only will you be pardoned, but you'll get revenge against Fairy Tail."

At that, Bernard's eyes widened in shock, he dropped his teacup before catching it. He could only stare at Siegrain, dumbfounded. But as he regained his composure, one thought came to the forefront of his mind.

"Helena." Bernard finally.

"Huh?" Siegrain raised an eyebrow.

"My wife. I want you to give the same offer to my wife, I'm not leaving her in this hellhole."

Hearing this made Siegrain smile. "Actually, my dear friend, Ultear, the Ninth Seat of the Magic Council, is making the same offer to your beloved wife as we speak."

Siegrain raised his right hand in front of him, and in flash of light, a communication Lacrima appeared. Inside it was the image of young woman with long, straight purple, pale skin, and brown eyes. "Ultear, Bernard was wondering about Helena, says he won't leave without her."

The woman smiled. " _Well I'm glad you called, she was just saying the same thing. She won't take a step out of here without her hubby."_

"Well then," the Wizard Saint looked to Bernard once more "do we have a deal?"

For the first time in a long time, a smile found its way to Bernard's face. He stood and extended his hand. "Hell yes."

Siegrain eyes lit up. "Excellent," he exclaimed as he vanished the Lacrima. The blue haired man stood up and took Bernard's hand. "I'll get started on the paperwork."

In the women's side of the prison, a very similar scene was taking place. Ultear Milkovich sat across from a tall woman with raven black hair, pale skin long deprived of sunlight, and fiery, burning orange eyes who wore a blue jumpsuit with 'H. Teagan' stitched over her left breast.

While Helena's cell made of normal stone and metal, unlike her husband's wooden one, the oddities were the heavy iron shackles around her arms and legs tethered to the back wall by thick chains.

They sat across from each other in a very similar set up to Bernard and Siegrain; a briefcase that folded out into a small table with collapsible chairs. Instead of her blue-haired friend's wooden briefcase and dishes, Ultear's was leather with a glass interior along with porcelain cups and saucers, and a metal coffee pot.

"Well then," Ultear said sweetly "looks like your husband has agreed. What about you?"

Helena's eye hardened. "I'm in." She glared at her left arm, painful memories swelling to the surface of her mind. "Fairy Tail's going to get what they deserve."

"That's good to hear," Ultear said as she stood up. "I'll get started on your pardon."

"Wait." Helena said, stopping Ultear in her tracks.

The purple haired woman eyed Helena suspiciously. 'What does she want,' she thought as fought to stop her eyebrows from furrowing.

There was a beat, silence, and then Helena said "May I have some more coffee before you go?" She raised her cup expectantly.

'Oh,' Ultear thought, eyes wide with surprise.

The councilwoman smiled. "Certainly, Mrs. Teagan. However," she looked down at the table where a pile of empty creamer packets lay next to a sugar bowl missing a third of its contents. "You've depleted my supply of chocolate creamer."

"Do you have caramel?" Helena asked without missing a beat.

Ultear sighed and said she did, and reached into a compartment containing the caramel creamer.

_**Magnolia…** _

If one were to take in the sights of Magnolia Forest, the pleasant sunlight and calming chirps of the local birds would relax anyone. Anyone, say for…

"OW!" Natsu shouted as, for the eighth time in the last hour, Ju had smacked him in the head with her cane.

Today was the first day of Natsu's training in the ways of Shou Quantou, the martial art practice meant to bring out the full potential of Beast Aura Magic. So early in the morning, Ju had told Natsu to lead them to a serene location for their first lesson.

And that step was meditation.

His new master had asked Natsu take them to a quiet and secluded area to begin their meditation, so he'd lead her to a hill that overlooked much of the forest and the town. Once there, she had brought out two mats, one for each of them. Crossing her legs, the elderly woman then entered a meditative pose and gave Natsu his instructions:

"Calm your breathing, clear your mind, and don't move. If you're successful in this, you will be able to balance your mind and soul."

And so, Natsu attempted to just that, getting into the same position as his teacher. Calming his breathing was easy enough. Clearing his mind and not moving was a different problem altogether. Every time his body would twitch or one of his limbs would shift, he earned a swift smack to the head by Ju's cane. He'd lost count of how many times it had happened in the last hour.

"Look, if you're having trouble staying still, just think of a moment where you've been absolutely still." Ju stated. "Recall every sensation, and project that onto yourself in the here and now."

"Alright, alright." Natsu said before he closed his eyes again. He then tried to thank back to any moment of his life where he was completely still. And the moments he came to… were all the times he was on a vehicle. Every train ride. Every magic-mobile ride. Hell, even that one time Team Morningstar went to an amusement park.

And a familiar sensation did come over Natsu, but it wasn't stillness…

"HWAR!HWAR!HWACK!" The salmon-haired wizard cried as he fell to his side and proceeded to retch all over the mat.

"WHAT THE DEVIL?!" Ju Liu cried in shock.

So, all in all, Natsu was having a pretty shit morning.

Meanwhile, the usual early birds were already at the Fairy Tail guildhall. One of them was Alyssa, who was currently sifting through the guild's archives, looking at a series of books on the subject of Soul Armor. There was one fact that stuck out like a sore thumb; in every picture she had found of other Soul Armor Wizards, their armor covered their entire bodies. Not a one of them had armor that only covered parts of their bodies.

'Why is mine different?' The orange haired woman thought as she found an old newspaper clipping of Makarov's old team, the Midsummer Knights. This particular clipping showed the group taking on a terrorist cell.

What really caught her eye was a man in white armor styled after a jaguar. The newspaper identified the person as Balam Rendon.

'I don't believe it,' Alyssa thought to herself, eyes wide in shock. 'Gramps is friends with a Soul Armor Wizard! Why didn't he tell me?'

But as Alyssa's shock wore off, she began to doubt herself. 'Or this Balam guy could just be a Requip Wizard like Erza. I'm sure Gramps would have told me about him if he was a…' then she remembered Makarov's forgotten promise to Ju Liu. Alyssa's eye twitched.

'Yeah, better double check just in case,' she thought before pocketing the newspaper clipping and exiting the archives. She passed Zeke along the way.

Like his amazonian teammate, Zeke had dived headfirst into studying his Second Origin, but his research was proving less than fruitful. While not a Lost Magic, Fighting Spirit was still rare, and it seemed as though most practitioners preferred to keep the inner workings of their magic a secret. Or at the very least, preferred not to publish anything about it.

'Damn it. What am I even doing?' He thought to himself, frustrated by the lack of research material. 'Natsu's trying to improve himself, and I'm just sitting here doing nothing.'

Back with Alyssa, she had arrived in the main hall and spotted Makarov eating his breakfast.

"Morning, Gramps." The Speed Queen greeted as she took a seat at his table.

"Good morning, my dear." The former guild master as he continued to eat. "So, have you and Natsu figured out a date for the wedding yet?"

"We're thinking March or April. Sometime in the spring. But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about." Alyssa said as she pulled out the rolled up clipping from her pocket and showed it to Makarov.

"Oh, I remember this!" Makarov said as he took the clipping. "The tavern we went to afterwards was terrible. But never mind that; what was your question, dear?"

"I was hoping you could tell me about your old teammate, Balam Rendon."

"Oh, that old pussycat?" The diminutive man chuckled. "What's to know?"

"Well, I was wondering if you could call him up. I'm having trouble getting the hang of my Second Origin, so I was hoping he could give me a few pointers on Soul Armor Magic."

Upon hearing that, Makarov's jovial mood turned sullen; he looked down and sighed. "I'm afraid that's not possible."

"Why no… oh god, he's not dead, is he?!" Alyssa's eyes were wide with shock.

"No no no. Well, at least I don't think so." The older man said, panicked.

Alyssa gave a perplexed looked.

Makarov sighed. "Look, when Balam retired, all he told us was that he going to live in the Southern Sea Forest, and we haven't heard anything since. So if you want to learn anything from him, you'll have to go there yourself."

Alyssa said nothing, rising from her seat to contemplate her next move.

_**Magnolia Forest…** _

"Well, since meditation is clearly not working…" Ju said as Natsu finished cleaning himself off. "...we just have to work on your stances."

"My what?" Natsu asked.

Ju took a look at Natsu before ordering him to, "Stand like you're ready to fight."

"Okay." A slightly confused Natsu answered before taking his usual fighting stance.

"Shou Quantou Rule #9; You can deduce everything about your opponent based on their stance." Ju said as she started to walk around her student.

"What're you talking about?"

"Let's take your stance as an example; you always hold your right fist outward while your left fist held back, indicating that your right hand is dominant. The same can go for your right leg. And the way your legs are slightly bent, revealing that you prefer to leap towards your opponent."

"You got all that just by lookin' at me?" The dragon-slayer asked, thoroughly impressed.

"How do you think I was able to avoid your attacks during our duel?" The Beast Aura master replied as she pulled out a scroll from her sleeve and tossed it at Natsu. The salmon-haired man caught it. "I want you to practice the stances on those scrolls until they're ingrained into your body."

Natsu unrolled the scroll and took a look at the stances with a raised eyebrow.

"Okay. How're these going to help me with my Beast Aura?"

"Every inner animal has a martial arts style that they're naturally attuned to." Ju explained before she started to meditate again, leaving Natsu to his own devices. The salmon-haired man took a look a particular stance and began his next step of training.

_**And then…** _

"THIS IS AWESOME!" Happy cried with joy as he soared through the sky in his Lion form. Suffice to say, is quite the different experience from his past flights. After rolling through the skies for a bit, he landed in the forest, deciding to test how strong his legs were.

Soon enough, Happy was running through the forest, leaping over fallen logs. After a few minutes of running, the blue & white lion took a look around the forest. And in the distance, he saw a deer getting a drink at the water. It looked so peaceful. So serene. So… delicious.

Before he knew what he was doing, a low growl began emanating from Happy's throat. Slowly, silently, he stalked closer towards the clearing, his fogged eyes never leaving the deer. And as he approached the creature, he thought about what he would do to his prey, ready to sink his teeth until it's succulent flesh.

However, this train of thought was interrupted when Happy stepped on a twig, the sound snapping Happy out of his trance. The deer had also heard the twig snap and galloped away, leaving Happy by himself as he transformed back into his smaller form.

'What… was that?' Happy wondered, slightly terrified as he remembered every savage thought he had recently had.

_**And then…** _

"Yummy, yummy, yummy!" Lupus cheered as she licked her ice cream, earning a giggle from Lucy. Over the past week or so, the blonde Celestial Wizard take gotten used to having the tiny wolf spirit around. And considering that Lupus seemed to be able to pop in and out of the Celestial World, she figured she might as well get used to her.

Despite being a few decades older than Lucy, Lupus truly was a child in terms of Celestial Spirits. She was excitable, curious, and even a tad mischievous, but not an annoying degree like Happy was at times.

She also had a major sweet tooth, as evidenced by the ten scoop ice cream she had gotten when the two of them made a snack run.

'I wonder if this is what being a big sister is like.' Lucy thought to herself as the two walked back to her apartment, taking her usual path near the riverbank. Ever since she had moved to Magnolia, Lucy would often see boat passing by. Eventually, she learned that it was a passenger boat driven by the Wicker brothers, Darren and Darrell. It was almost a daily ritual that the three would greet each other whenever they passed by.

"Evenin', Miss Lucy!" She heard Darrell say.

"Hey, guys!" Lucy turned to say hello… and was shocked and stupefied by what she saw. For the two brothers had two additional guests on their boat this evening. Now that wasn't the strange part, the brothers did ferry people around town on the river for a living.

No, the strange part was the passengers. On one end was Ju, calmly sipping a cup of hot tea; on the other end was Natsu, in a stance she had never seen him in before. His right arm was over his head, his hand facing down while his fingers almost positioned like the teeth of an animal. His left arm was facing upwards with his fingers making that same gesture. His legs were bent with his left leg stretched outward.

And just any other time Natsu was on a vehicle, he was shaking and trying not to lose his lunch.

"…what?" Lucy asked, confused as hell while Lupus laughed at the expressions the dragon-slayer was making. And to add insult to injury, Natsu's motion sickness reached his peak and puked over the edge of the boat.

"And that's another half-hour." Ju said as she gave Darren 300 jewels.

"Can I get ya some more tea?" Darrell asked.

"Oh my, so polite." The Beast Aura Master responded while her student just groaned. Soon enough, the boat left their field of vision, leaving Lucy baffled while Lupus continued licking her ice cream without a care in the world.

_**And then…** _

"Uuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhh." Natsu groaned while he rested his head on Team Morningstar's table while Alyssa rubbed his back.

"So was there a point to you standing on a moving boat for four hours?" Alexander asked while he held an ice pack on his head, dealing with the mother of all hangovers.

"Show Rondo l-lesson… I forget." The pink-haired dragon-slayer wheezed out. "A t-true fighter m-must h-have nerves of steel."

"So it was a test to make you tough?" Hoshi asked.

"I don't know." Her younger brother replied, becoming slightly more coherent.

"Are you sure putting yourself through all of that is worth it?" Happy asked.

"OF COURSE IT IS!" Natsu suddenly shouted, surprising his teammates. And unfortunately for Zeke, he spilled his coffee on himself.

"FUCK!"

"Sorry about that." The salmon-haired wizard quickly said before addressing the entire team again. "I don't care what torture that old bat puts me through! It's all gonna be worth it when I finally master Beast Aura."

And even though he was tired from the day's events, his teammates smiled at his determination.

"Well, you're not the only one who's going to be mastering their Second Origin." Zeke said after cleaning the coffee off his pants. "Actually, I have an announcement to make."

"What is it?" Happy asked, his teammates listening to him.

"I'm gonna be leaving for Solovar tomorrow." The archer said.

"What for?" Hoshi asked.

"Well, that's where the Titan Nose guild operates out of, and considering how piss poor my research has been going, my best bet for mastering my Fighting Spirit Magic is to learn from an expert."

"You mean Hidalgo?" Natsu asked, getting a nod in return. "Alright, makes sense. But ya better not come back looking like him."

"I seriously doubt that would happen." Lucy commented while Happy started to think.

"Hey, Zeke. Do you think I can come with you?" The blue cat asked, surprising everyone.

"Um… sure. But why do you wanna come with me, Happy?" Zeke asked. Happy said nothing for a second as he recalled the incident in the woods. However, he decided not to tell his team about that.

"I wanna get better with my Lion form." The blue cat answered half-truthfully. "And Jack's the only other cat like me, so he'd probably give me some pointers."

Hearing one of her best friends and adoptive son talk about this also made Alyssa think about the conversation she had with Makarov earlier that day. By all accounts, she knew there was something wrong with her Soul Armor based on all evidence. And having the proper master would go long way to figuring that out… even if she did have no idea where he was exactly.

"Actually, I'm going to be leaving too." Alyssa said.

"Wait, seriously?!" Natsu asked.

'The hell's with everyone today?' Alexander thought before cursing his headache again.

"I've been looking into it, and there's no way around it, my Soul Armor is incomplete." The orange-haired wizard said before conjuring up her purple gauntlets and boots. "It's supposed to cover my entire body, not just my fists and legs."

"But where will ya go?" Hoshi asked.

"Makarov told me about one of his old teammates, a Soul Armor Wizard named Balam Rendon; told me he went to live in the Southern Sea Forest. That's a good place as any to start."

And while Team Morningstar continued to chat about this, at another table, Juvia was listening in while Robin sat across from her, talking about something perverted that the Rain Woman drowned out after the first minute. And when she heard that conversation, the Water Wizard sighed.

"You alright, Juv?" Robin asked.

"It looks like my darling is leaving town again." Juvia answered, placing her head on the table as she pouted. "His last mission lasted almost two months. And now he's headed off to Solovar for who knows how long."

"That sucks." The Wire Wizard replied before something came to her mind. "Hey, aren't you from Solovar?"

The blue-haired woman nodded before her eyes widened and a brilliant idea came to her mind.

"Robin, you're a genius!" Juvia cheered before grabbing her friends' hands.

"Well, it's about time someone acknowledged that." Robin said rather egotistically. "...what I am a genius about again?"

_**The next morning…** _

"Be sure to brush your teeth after every meal."

"Aye."

"And don't talk to strangers. Unless their dark wizards. In that case, kick their ass!"

"Aye."

"And make you sure you eat at least three meals a day."

"Aye!" Happy said in mild annoyance as Natsu wished him goodbye. The seven members of Team Morningstar had gathered at Magnolia Station to see their three team members off.

"I'll be sure to bring you guys some souvenirs." Zeke said as he shook hands with Alexander and then Hoshi.

"Who knows? Maybe you'll find a red key." The one-eyed man replied with a lopsided smile. It made Zeke a bit uncomfortable.

"Good luck." Lucy said as she hugged Alyssa.

"Thanks." The orange-haired woman said, hugging her friend back.

"When do you guys think you'll be back?" Hoshi asked.

"Who knows?" Zeke replied. Even so, the three of them were sure to pack as much as they could carry.

"HOLD UP!" The seven wizards suddenly heard a womanly shout. "WAIT FOR ME, MY DAR- OOMPH!"

Team Morningstar turned and saw that not only was Juvia that one that called out to them, but that she had also tripped on one of her suitcases.

"Juvia?!" The seven exclaimed.

"What're you doing here?" Hoshi asked as the Rain Woman picked herself up. She then became painfully aware that her boyfriend and his team was staring at her.

"Oh...well...I overheard Zeke talking about going to Solovar, so…"

"Oh, shit!" Zeke shouted, suddenly having a realization. "Juvia, I'm so sorry I didn't tell ya!"

"No, no, no, it's alright." Juvia quickly replied. "You see, I'm actually from Solovar. And well…"

The blue-haired woman then began to twiddle her thumbs, shyly looking away from everyone. "...I figured since you're already heading there, I could accompany you to my hometown. And it has been awhile since I've visited so…"

However, Hoshi had a smirk on her face before walking towards her blue-haired friend and placing her arm on her shoulder.

"You know, Juvia, if you wanted to go with Zeke, you didn't have to come up with an excuse."

"...Um...but I…" Juvia said as her body started smoking in embarrassment, making the others chuckled at her shyness.

"She's right, you know." Zeke said as he held his hand out to his beloved. "We can take some time to see your old home. So I wouldn't mind your company at all."

"...Oh, Zeke!" Juvia cheered before suddenly jumping Zeke without warning. The two fell to the ground as the rain woman rubbed her face against the archer's, who simply chuckled and blushed. "You always know just what to say."

"All I did was speak the truth." Zeke said before Juvia looked into his eyes, the air around them beginning to sparkle.

"Zeke."

"Oh, Juvia."

"Zeke."

"Juvia."

"Oh, jeez." Happy groaned as the two entered a 'couple trance.'

"Natsu."

"Alyssa."

"Not you too!" The blue cat exclaimed as his adopted parents were also in the middle of a couple trance.

" _The 10:15 to Koro Junction will be departing in ten minutes."_ The PA system announced. " _All passengers, please board be ready to present your tickets."_

"That's us." Zeke said, the announcement snapping the two couples back to reality. Happy was the first to board, waving goodbye to everyone. Zeke and Juvia followed, the blue-haired woman wrapping her arms around her darling's free arm. The last to board was Alyssa, who shared a smile with Natsu before the dragon-slayer pulled her into a kiss, probably the last one they would have for awhile.

"Come back home safe, okay?" Natsu asked as their kiss ended.

"You got it." Alyssa replied, the two still holding hands while her engagement ring shined in the sunlight.

And so, minutes later, the train departed from the station, taking half of Team Morningstar with it. However, they all knew this would be a short separation, and that the next time they would see their friends, they would be stronger than before.

Afterwards, the four went their separate ways. Natsu went back to training with Ju, Hoshi said that Natalie was teaching her how to use a forge, and Alexander had a brunch date with Mirajane, leaving Lucy to walk to the guildhall by herself.

While the former heiress traveled along Magnolia's cobblestone roads, she couldn't help but think about the dedication of her comrades. It seemed that almost everyone of them (save for Alexander,) were looking for some way to improve themselves. Even Happy.

She looked down towards Meteore as it hung by her belt and thought about how much she had improved since she started. Before joining Fairy Tail, Lucy had never even held a sword and would often leave the heavy lifting to her Celestial Spirits. But now, not only was she using a sword as her main weapon, but she would often fight alongside her spirits with Meteore in hand.

But even with that in mind, Lucy knew her swordsmanship could be better. And while Alexander had given her some pointers, it was clear that the one-eyed former pirate's brand of sword fighting was mostly improvised.

As she thought of this, she entered the guild hall, seeing the familiar faces that had become like a second family to her. And when she spotted a certain redhead chatting with her 'not-boyfriend,' an idea popped into Lucy's mind.

'If Natsu has a master, I should have one too.' She thought before walking towards Erza. The redhead noticed this and smiled.

"Good morning, Lucy."

"Morning, Erza." The blonde girl said as she took a seat next to her. "Hey, Erza; can I ask you a favor?"

The Requip wizard tilted her head before replying, "What kind of favor?"

And with determination in her eyes, Lucy looked Erza in the face and said what was on her mind.

"I want you to teach me everything you know about sword fighting."

"...huh?"

_To be continued…_


	18. A Bump in the Road

_Chapter 18: A Bump in the Road_

_The night was quiet and cool. Team Morningstar walked beneath a cloudless sky of glittering stars, the only sounds to be heard were their footsteps on the grass._

_Alyssa looked around at her friends and smiled. She couldn't remember why they were walking or where they were going, but that didn't matter right now._

_She turned her head to see Natsu, her beloved fiance walking next to her; so long as they were together, Alyssa was certain nothing could harm them. She went to grab his hand. Natsu blushed at the sudden action, but then smiled and reciprocated._

_Suddenly, like a million lanterns being extinguished all at once, the stars vanished and left only darkness behind. Thousands of grotesque limbs of living shadows descended from the sky. Alyssa recoiled in horror as they went straight for her friends._

_The first one the limbs grabbed was Hoshi, then Alex, Lucy, Happy, and finally Zeke._

_Alyssa stood by in shock as her teammates were carried in the sky. She looked and saw Natsu, trembling and holding her hand in a death grip. Doing the only she could think of, Alyssa lifted her fiance into her arms and ran, she ran as fast as she could away from the thousands of shadowy limbs. But the shadows were faster, faster than Alyssa could ever be. The caught up and grabbed onto Natsu, and even as they held onto each other for dear life, he was ripped from Alyssa's arms._

_As the six wizards struggled to free themselves from the mass of dark limbs, things only got worse. Like someone taking a knife to paper, the black sky seemed to tear and rip, it finished to reveal a face like a jack-o'-lantern's made of demonic orange light._

_The sky-face grinned as the arms brought her friends straight to it. One by one, it began to eat her friends alive, their screams echoing all around. The only one left was Natsu, who tried in vain to reach down to her just as the mouth closed on him with a sickening, wet crunch._

"AAAAAAAHHHH!" Alyssa shouted as she jolted up from her nightmare, sweat running down her face. She caught her breath and quick to wipe the sweat off her forehead. "Just a nightmare."

The Amazonian woman laid her head back on her pillow before turning to her side and reaching out… to no one.

'Oh, right.' She thought to herself, remembering that she was staying a hotel on her way to the Southern Sea Forest… alone. And after an hour of restless tossing and turning, the Speed Queen finally drifted back to an uneasy sleep.

_**Later in Magnolia…** _

'-48, 49, 50!' Lucy counted her sword swings while Erza watched from the side. According to the redhead, this first exercise was meant to push Lucy's stamina while also showing what part of her technique needed improvement. But since Lucy was a beginner, Erza figured that fifty practice swings would be enough.

And her estimate was right as Lucy was already panting and shaking her left hand, clearly having gained several blisters from the swinging.

"You should buy some gloves," Erza commented, getting Lucy's attention as she motioned to her own gauntlets. "You can't be expected to fight longer if you're distracted by blisters."

"Got it," Lucy replied.

"Also, your swings are far too long and leave your vital areas open. It might work when you're using Meteore's Whip mode, but not when you're in close-quarters combat."

"Got it."

Elsewhere in Magnolia, Natsu was in the midst of practicing his combat stances near a lake. Currently, he was practicing a leg sweeping maneuver before switching to a quick chopping motion.

"A bit slow with that chop, but your form is definitely improving." The salmon-haired man turned and saw Ju dragging along a chest as big as her… which wasn't really saying much.

"What's in the chest, Granny?" Natsu asked. In response, the diminutive woman opened the chest, revealing a collection of several weapons.

"Shou Quantou Rule #4; it never hurts to have the right tools," Ju stated as she started pulling the weapons out of the chest. "Just like there are fighting techniques that synergize with each animal, there's also a weapon that can be used in conjunction with both the martial art and the beast."

"Cool!" Natsu exclaimed as he looked at the weapons. However, a thought occurred to Natsu. "Wait, why didn't you use a weapon when we fought?"

With a cocky smirk and quick movement, Ju had Natsu on his back and a pair of deer horn knives held to her pupil's neck, her yellow aura surrounding her.

"Because I couldn't make the fight too one-sided." She said with a dangerous glare before stepping back and smiling. "Now see what weapon speaks to you."

'What's the word for that...oh, bipolar!' Natsu thought about his master before looking at the weapons. He recognized a few of the weapons from his various adventures. Tonfas, sais, nunchucks and a bo staff. But his eyes rested on a pair of black metal weapons.

They were composed of four 20-inch iron blades that looked like claws. They were attached to two metal straps, one at the ends and one in the middle. Natsu picked up one of the claws and strapped it to his right hand, the bottom one attached to his wrist and upper one running around his hand.

"Ah. Those are called Tekko Kagi." Ju explained as her apprentice gave an experimental jab with it. "They're used by Sumeragian assassins to fight off targets with weapons."

"Sweet," Natsu said as he decided to strap on the other glove.

In the Fairy Hills dormitory, Natalie's room to be specific, Hoshi slammed a hammer against a piece of hot metal, attempting to shape it into a staff. In another part of the room, Natalie was using a pair of molding gloves to shape one of her Frost Crystals into an orb.

An hour later, the two ladies attached the blue orb to a light blue staff. Hoshi fed some of her mana into the staff chilling the air around her. As she felt the temperature drop, the behatted woman smiled at the sight of the first staff she had built by hand.

Speaking of ice, another part of the Magnolia Forest had become encased in ice as Gray and Elfman were currently engaged in battle, the half-naked ice spinner using an ice shield to block a slash from Elfman's Tigerman form.

" _Ice-Make: Geyser!"_ Gray shouted before blasting his larger friend back with a sudden burst of ice from the ground. The white-haired man landed on his feet.

"Feel anything yet?" Elfman asked.

"Nah. Still the same. You?"

"Are you kidding me?" The white-haired man said as he cracked his neck. "This is barely a workout for me."

"So Round Two then." The Ice-Make wizard stated as he prepared his next spell. " _Ice-Make: Saucer!"_

After Natsu's battle with Ju, Gray had realized that he had neglected his training, mostly content with going on missions and relaxing at the guild. He figured he was skilled enough as he was. But Natsu's Azure Flames and Beast Aura was the wake-up call he needed to realize that he was falling behind.

And so, he went to Elfman and told him about his idea; every day when they weren't on a mission, the two friends would fight each other until they unlocked their Second Origins. Currently, they were on Day Four of this mission.

" _Take-Over: Lavaman!"_ Elfman quickly chanted as he transformed and launched a fireball that destroyed the ice saucer, their battle beginning anew.

_**Later, in the town of Veracia…** _

"Here's your number." The cashier at the Magicmobile rental place said, handing Zeke a sleeve of paper. The final stop on their train ride had been in the small trading town of Veracia. From there on, the three traveling Fairy Tail wizards would need to travel through the nearby canyon to reach Solovar.

Since they arrived so late in the evening, Zeke, Juvia, and Happy decided to spend the night at the local hotel. But while the brunette archer was on his way back, his blue-haired girlfriend has gone down to the Hotel's restaurant to bring some dinner up to their room.

'This is what I've waited for!' Juvia mentally exclaimed. 'A chance to be alone with my prince!'

In case you're wondering, Juvia bribed Happy with some Jewels so he could buy his own dinner.

'Alone, with a room all to ourselves.' The Rain Woman thought as her imagination began take hold of her.

_**Juvia's Imagination…** _

" _Ah, that was so good," Zeke said as he patted his full belly._

" _Indeed." Juvia agreed with her boyfriend. But then, out of nowhere, a perverted smirk appeared on the brunette's face before he tackled Juvia onto the bed._

" _However…" Zeke began to say in a seductive tone. He then began to unbutton her top, slowly revealing his girlfriend's cleavage. "...I think I'm the mood for some...desert."_

" _Oh, Zeke!" Juvia cried out in ecstasy._

In the real world, Juvia's entire body was steaming red while she let out a few perverted giggles. As such, the rain woman was unaware that she was about to bump into someone until it happened.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Juvia exclaimed, the bump smacking her out of her fantasy.

"No, no, I should apologize." The man said with a familiar voice. Juvia looked up, and sure enough, saw an old acquaintance.

"Aria!"

The blind air wizard blinked before recognizing the voice. "Juvia? By the Firsts, it's been awhile!"

"I know." The rain woman said as she shook her old teammates' hand. While Juvia may not have been close friends with her former guildmates, she did have a fondness for Aria due to his polite demeanor. "How've you been?"

In response to that, Aria burst into tears, freaking out the other patrons of the restaurant. However, Juvia took it in stride, knowing that was just a quirk the large man possessed.

"Oh, this past few months have been trying for sure! Ever since Phantom Lord was disbanded, my reputation has become a joke! No guild wants me, Totomaru, or Monsieur Sol as permanent members! And I can only imagine what you've been through, dear Juvia!"

And just like that, the conversation turned awkward for the water woman. Since Aria's Airspace Magic allowed him to determine where a person was through movement with the air, she often forgot that he was still technically blind. As such, he couldn't see her Fairy Tail necklace.

"Oh, I-I've been doing alright for myself." The rain woman stated. "I was actually about to get dinner for my room, so…"

"Splendid!" Aria said, bringing the blue-haired woman into a hug. "We can catch up while you wait."

"S-sure," Juvia said, slightly dazed by the sudden and strong hug.

In yet another part of town, Happy was savoring some skewered teriyaki chicken he had bought from a street vendor. Content with his food, the blue cat failed to notice that he was being followed by some local thugs. And it wasn't until one of them stepped in front of them that he noticed them.

"Oh, hello." Happy greeted while one of the thugs took a closer look at him.

"Just what the fuck are you?"

"I'm a cat!" The blue feline proudly stated.

"I ain't never seen a cat that walks and talks before."

"Who gives a shit?" One of the thugs said as lightning magic flowed from her hands. "He's obviously got money and knows how to use it."

It took Happy a few seconds to connect the dots. "You guys are gonna rob me!"

"...he's doesn't seem too bright." Another thug said as he cracked his knuckles. But as the thugs were ready to mug Happy, one of them noticed a wicked grin on the cat's face.

"Nice try, but I'm not just any ordinary cat!" Happy proclaimed as he body began to glow with green magic energy. He transformed in a quick flash of light, revealing his lion form to the thugs after the light faded. "I'm a magic cat!"

However, one of the thugs was not exactly bright and stabbed ahead with his knife. Happy managed to evade the attack before quickly turning and smacking the thug away with his tail. Another thug ran up with a large stick, but Happy caught it in his mouth, shattering it with his teeth.

But things took a turn for the worse as the lightning wizard among them finally decided to act, shocking Happy and stunning him. And seeing an opportunity for a counterattack, the rest of the thugs grabbed some sticks and began mercilessly beating the blue lion. With each hit, Happy's anger continued to grow and grow until his eyes glazed over. He unleashed a ferocious roar so loud that Zeke heard it from two blocks away.

'The hell was that?' The brunette thought to himself before running towards the source of the sound. But as he turned the corner, he saw one of the thugs hobbling away, a bloody claw mark on her chest.

"He's a fucking monster!"

Zeke looked and saw the other thugs running away while Happy was holding the Lightning Wizard down with a claw on his chest. The thug was struggling to escape, even zapping Happy, but the blue beast was unphased, his maw opening up as he began to lower towards him.

"I-I'm sorry! I'll never try to rob anyone again! Just let me go for the First's sake!" The thug cried out in desperation, terrified for his life.

"Happy!" Zeke shouted, snapping the lion out of his rage.

"…Zeke?" Happy said, his eyes returning to normal. He lifted his paw from the thug, who ran for his life.

"You doing okay, little guy?" Zeke asked as Happy transformed back into his smaller self.

"…no. No, I'm not." The blue cat lamented. Suffice to say, the two friends had a lot to talk about.

And speaking of talking, Juvia was currently catching up with Aria, although the blue-haired woman omitted the fact she was now a member of Fairy Tail, figuring that little fact would make things even more awkward. Although she did mention that she was traveling with her boyfriend to Solovar. Eventually, Juvia's order was finished and handed to her.

"Well, it was great catching up with you," Juvia stated before heading off to her room.

"Have a good night," Aria said, his smile only lasting for a second before his expression became neutral. He then began to walk towards a booth where both Sol and Totomaru sat.

"So, do you know where she's heading?" The Pyromancer asked.

"Solivar." The blind man replied.

"Ah, but in order to get to Solivar, ze will have to go through Fulcrum Canyon, no?" Sol stated with a sinister smirk on his face.

"Then that's where we'll get our vengeance," Totomaru stated his face as stern as ever.

A few minutes later, Juvia arrived in the room, but much to her surprise, Zeke and Happy were sitting on one of the beds, the archer comfortingly stroking the blue cat's head. Juvia also noticed the downtrodden look on Happy's face.

"Did something happen?" The water wizard asked. The blue cat nodded and Zeke explained the fight Happy got into…and how he almost ate one of the thugs.

"And this wasn't even the first time that's happened to me." Happy stated, surprising the couple. "The day before we left Magnolia, I was running through the woods in lion form. But then I spotted a deer. I was going to leave it alone…but then something happened to my brain. I keep thinking about how delicious that deer looked, and I almost pounced on it. Thankfully, I ended up snapping out of…whatever happened to me when I stepped on a twig."

"Now that I think about, you were in some kind of berserker rage when you first transformed in the Badlands," Zeke recalled. "It took Natsu letting you bite his shoulder to snap you out of it."

"So this isn't an isolated incident." Juvia chimed in. Happy then decided to reveal the real reason he was traveling with them.

"Jack's the only other cat like me that I've ever met. He's the only who can help me with this…killing trance."

_**Elsewhere…** _

'So this is it.' Alyssa thought to herself as she stood in front of the entrance of the Southern Sea Forest. Said forest encompassed thousands of miles, which was how it earned its name. Even to this day, only 60% of the forest had been charted.

'Well, better start looking.' The orange-haired amazon thought as she got into a runner's starting position, all of her luggage tied to her back. She then took off towards the forest, ready to search the entire place for Balam Rendon if she needed to.

_**And then…** _

As he had done for the last few days, Alexander was trying to create a lightning construct in his hands. However, he had failed to even make the simplest of shapes.

"What the hell?" He grunted in frustration as he attempted to form a Lightning-Make Cube in his hands. But just as it started to form, it fell apart into sparks. "I was able to make chains and drills before! So why the hell can't I do it now?!"

Angry, he went to his fridge for a drink. But to his increasing irritation, all he found was food that was either stale or downright rotten, and empty bottles of alcohol that had been practically licked clean. "Just fuckin' great."

_**Fulcrum Canyon…** _

Zeke, Juvia, and Happy were driving through Fulcrum Canyon, the sun reflecting off the hood of their rented Magicmobile. As they were driving (well, Juvia was driving), Zeke couldn't help but think how much time they were saving with this mode of transportation.

'Then again, Natsu would be miserable if we took a magicmobile everywhere.' Zeke thought to himself. 'And Porlyusica's 'cures' have all but backfired. Maybe we can buy a patch or something. Someone's probably made that by now.'

But while the three Fairy Tail wizards were driving, another trio was watching them from on top a nearby cliff.

"Monsieur Sol, if you would do the honor?" Totomaru asked.

"Oui oui, Totomaru. It iz time for our revenge." The mustached wizard replied before placing his hand on the ground. " _Earth Pillar!"_

In an instant, a yellow magic circle appeared underneath the magicmobile, a pillar of stone rose up that sent the vehicle flying into the air.

"What the fuck?!" Zeke shouted while Happy screamed. But Juvia was quick to recreate, blue magic circles appearing in front of her palms.

" _Water Lock!"_ A large sphere of water surrounded the magicmobile. The water absorbed the shock of the impact, protecting the three occupants.

"Thanks to the save, Juvia." Happy said as the Water Wizard dissipated the bubble. But before the three had a chance to catch their breath, Totomaru jumped down from the cliff, pulled out his sword, and engulfed it in red flames. Zeke saw this out of the corner of his eyes.

" _Aegis!"_ Zeke quickly summoned his Fighting Spirit and conjuring up a shield to deflect the attack.

"Totomaru?!" Juvia shouted in surprise as the white/black-haired man landed on his feet.

"I see you've been doing good for yourself, Juvia." The pyromancer stated, anger clear in his eyes. "Then again, I suppose whoring yourself to the enemy must have some benefits."

"Hey, fuck off!" Zeke shouted in anger as he summoned his bow. " _Arch Shot: Drill Arrow!"_

" _Airspace Barrier!"_

The spinning arrow spell was blocked by a wall of reinforced air. And seeing that was enough for Juvia to piece it together. And as she figured, Aria and Sol appeared next to Totomaru.

"Vell, vell, vell, Fairy Flies," Sol said as his body wobbled. "It is time for you too, how do you say, 'get what's coming to you.'"

And just like that, the battle of Fulcrum Canyon had begun.

_To be continued…_


	19. Forged in Fire

_Chapter 19: Forged in Fire_

Zeke prided himself on his analytical skills; his ability to find reason and patterns in chaos was a skill that had saved himself and his friends countless times. Recently, he had been seeing a rather annoying pattern in their most recent adventures; being ambushed.

The Holy Crusaders, the Worm Riders, and now the Element Three (as Zeke had dubbed them) had all ambushed him and his friends. And in the back of his mind, the brunette archer was getting really sick of it, even as he evaded a flaming katana swing.

" _Shield Up!"_  Zeke exclaimed, causing Emerald Aegis to create a barrier between himself and Totomaru. With some distance between the two, the brunette began to conjure his next spell.

'With that sword, he's clearly the up close and personal type.' Zeke quickly reasoned. 'He'll either leap over the barrier or try to circle around it. And the second he does, he's gonna get a Drill Arrow to the face.'

However, the dual-haired man quickly leaped back, surprising Zeke as he crossed his arms, creating a red magic circle in front of him.

" _Rainbow Fire: Blue!"_ A torrent of blue flame blasted forth from Totomaru's magic circle. And even more shocking, the flames flowed around Aegis' barrier, threatening to engulf Zeke from his left side.

" _AEGIS!"_ Summoned Aegis' physical mass, the castle-like Fighting Spirit took the impact of the blue flames. However, Zeke still felt some of Aegis' sensations through their link. And instead of blazing heat, the archer felt an unforgiving chill. 'Cold Fire?'

"Zeke, lookout!" Zeke heard Happy shout, realizing that his back was unguarded. Acting on instinct, he split his bow into its twin swords and swung, deflecting Totomaru's attack.

'I didn't even hear his footsteps! How the fuck did he sneak up on me?!' The archer asked before he noticed that his foe was blazing with green fire. And each movement Totomaru took had no sound whatsoever.

However, he did hear the earth beginning to move beneath him as Sol began to manipulate it with his magic.

"Bon voyage, Fairy Fly." The mustached man said as began to his spell. Suddenly, he noticed a dozen lacrima grenades flying towards him. With a less-than-dignified scream, Sol canceled his spell and plunged into the ground right as the bombs exploded.

"Over here, you weird noodle man!" Happy cried out, having tossed the bombs from his backpack.

"Non, non, non, Monsieur Pussycat," Sol said wag wagging his finger. "You should know better than to try to fight a wizard if you have no magic."

"Well then…" Happy said with a smirk, confusing Sol as the blue feline was enveloped in an aura of magic. Confusion turned to shock as Happy transformed into his lion form. "...it's a good thing I'm a magic cat."

Realizing the danger her guildmates were in, Juvia attempted to help. But Aria appeared behind her.

" _Airspace: Updrift!"_

In a burst of air, Juvia and Aria were whisked away into the sky.

'Good on you, Aria.' Totomaru thought as he and his foe stood each other down. So far this was all going according to the pyromancer's plan. One major caveat of the said plan involved Aria isolating Juvia from the rest of the combatants. In terms of raw magic power, Juvia was an absolute monster, and Aria was the best match for her.

The dual-haired man then refocused himself and charged at Zeke,

"I've heard of you," Totomaru stated as sparks flew off their clashing blades. "Ezekiel Hudson, son of Guild Master Lyle Hudson and Rune Knight Captain Amelia Hudson."

"And I've heard of you too," The archer responded. "Totomaru Minami of Phantom Lord's Element Four. Or better known as the dumbass my buddy Alyssa took out in one punch."

"That muscle bound wench took me by surprise." The dual-haired man stated as he pushed back against Zeke making the archer grunt with each attack. "But I doubt you'll do same!"

Once more, the two found themselves up close, their blades the only things between them with even more sparks flying. Zeke recalled a similar situation he was in a few months ago.

'Well, if it worked on Freed…' Zeke thought, pulling his left leg back for a low blow. But when he pushed his knee, it was met by Totomaru's knee, causing the two combatants to grunt and jump back.

"That's my trick!" The archer yelled. "How'd you know I was going for a nutshot?"

"Aside from it being the easiest way to break our stalemate?" Totomaru replied. "I did my research before the ambush. Your skill with a bow and your natural affinity for tactics is well documented, Hudson. But so is your pragmatism; you never fight fair."

"Hey, if it's a matter of life or death, who gives a fuck about fairness?" Zeke proclaimed before firing another barrage of energy arrows that Totomaru dodged.

" _Arch Shot: Seeker Arrow!"_

Zeke launched his spell, expecting Totomaru to do what most of his foes did and dodge the spell, allowing Zeke to bend the arrow and attack from all sides. But continuing the trend, Totomaru stood his ground, both his hands o tightly wrapped around katana's hilt. With steely eyes, a red magic circle appeared under the dual-haired man.

" _Rainbow Fire: Crimson Blade!"_

In an instant, Totomaru's katana was consumed in red fire that quickly took the shape of a larger sword and he swung, slicing the Seeker Arrow to pieces and causing it to dissipate. Once more, Zeke was shocked at the strange magic his foe displayed but kept his face neutral in order to keep ahead.

"Gotta admit, I've never faced a fire wizard like you."

"Wizard? Uh. Such an orthodox expression.",The dual-haired man grumbled. "I prefer to be referred to as a Pyromancer."

And in an instant, the brunette archer figured out a way to get an edge on his opponent, deciding to take a page from Natsu's book.

"You romance pies?" Zeke responded with the biggest shit-eating grin he could muster. confusing the hell out of Totomaru.

"What?"

"Hey, it's cool. It's just a weird time to bring that up."

"NO!" Totomaru quickly shouted. "A Pyromancer! It means I have complete mastery over the element of fi-"

"Look, I'm not trying to judge you, pie fucker." The archer said, using of all of his will not to laugh at his own diss. "I mean you should see some of the weird shit my guildmates are into. Especially Erza."

_**Meanwhile…** _

'I don't know why, but I have a sudden urge to punch Zeke in the mouth.' The redhead thought as she dusted her Giant Armor.

_**And back to the fight...** _

Needless to say, Totomaru did not take the insult well.

" _Rainbow Fire: Purple Net!"_

Unfortunately for Zeke, the fire flew him faster than he could react and blasted him into a canyon wall. The brunette was also quick to figure out what this version of Totomaru's fire could do.

'It's sticky?!' Zeke thought as he attempted to pull his body from the wall. But with each tug, the archer felt like he was stuck in glue.

"You will pay for that insult most dearly!" The red-clad man shouted, charging at his foe with his Crimson Blade spell blazing. But before he could land the finishing blow, Zeke once more conjured up Aegis and used the living castle to deflect the attack. The slow but formidable fighting spirit then began another brawl with Totomaru, the dual-haired man easily dodging the stone-shattering strikes. But the battle broke his concentration, causing his Purple Net spell to dissolve.

With his opponent temporarily distracted, Zeke quickly took stock around him. While he still had no idea where Aria had taken Juvia, he saw that Happy was being kept at bay by Sol's Earth Magic. He knew his blue-furred teammate had no direct countermeasure against Sol and wasn't one for tactics.

'I gotta finish this now, help Happy, find Juvia, and then get the fuck out of here.' He thought as he prepared his next spell. 'Wait for it….now!'

" _Arch Shot: Sphere Arrow!"_

Quickly, Zeke fired a spell into the air that turned in a sphere of emerald magic. Then, he simultaneously activated the next the phase of the spell and dismissed Emerald Aegis, confusing Totomaru. However, the pyromancer was quick to notice the rain of arrows coming down on him.

" _Rainbow Fire: Crimson Shield!"_

The dual-haired man created a shield of red fire that deflected the barrage. And while many of them dissolved upon deflection, Totomaru didn't realize that five of the arrows had landed in a pentagram formation.

But at the same time, Zeke was also unaware that he had stepped into a trap.

When Zeke and Totomaru's swords had clashed, the pyromancer had been secretly infusing the sparks with his own fire magic. Said sparks had also not disappeared, staying as small embers on the ground that the average man wouldn't notice. And Zeke had unknowingly stepped in a field of them.

'Gotcha!' The two foes thought to themselves, both of them raising their right hands out to snap their fingers.

" _Arch Shot: Pentagram Calamity!"_

" _Rainbow Fire: Indigo Eruption!"_

Simultaneously, the two snapped their fingers, activating the spells. The five arrows around Totomaru created a pentagram-shaped barrier around him while the sparks around Zeke turned into a ring of indigo fire.

"Wait, what the fuck?!" Zeke and Totomaru shouted at the same time before they were consumed by each other's spells. The brunette was consumed in a pillar of agonizing indigo fire while the dual-haired man was bombed by green magic energy. When the pillars faded, both wizards were barely conscious before falling to the ground, both knocked out.

As this was going on, Juvia stared down Aria. "Why are you three doing this?"

"Oh, Juvia. It truly saddens me that you haven't guessed it yet." The blind man stated, the air billowing around him. "Our motive is simple; revenge."

"But the war between Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord is over! We lost!"

Behind his blindfold, Aria raised an eyebrow. "We? Such a sad sight, indeed. Tell me, Juvia? What did you do after our guild fell apart? Did you try and help any of your guildmates get back on their feet? No, you went crawling to the very guild that humiliated us!"

"B-But I did!" Juvia shouted back as some clouds began to roll overhead. '...eventually.'

"Do you ever even considered what happened to your guildmates after our disbandment? Or did you just go crawling to Fairy Tail like some woman of the night?" Aria continued as his brow furrowed in anger, venom tinged his voice. "Although I suppose it doesn't really matter since you won't be a member of any guild by days end."

As the air around Aria began to gather, Juvia gulped and also readied her water magic. She had seen how efficiently Aria had dispatched foes before. If he got in close he could use his Airspace magic to stop the flow of mana in her body, thus rendering her Water Body spell useless. The blue haired wizard knew she needed to end the battle as fast as she could before the blind man got the chance.

" _Water Nebula!"_ Juvia chanted, unleashing twin streams of torrenting water at her foe. With a wave of his hand, Aria deflected the spell with a barrier of wind.

" _Airspace: Light Bend."_ Aria chanted as the light shimmered around him and he disappeared from sight.

'Crap.' Juvia thought, surrounding herself in a Water Lock. The blue-haired woman kept her eyes open, rapidly scanning the area to attack the instant Aria made his move. She felt something move into her Water Lock. 'There you are!'

" _Water Burst!"_ With a quick application of mana, Juvia transformed her Water Lock in a massive wave of water that pushed Aria back, forcing him to drop his stealth spell. She then decided to gain some distance and turned her body into a torrent of water that blasted into the sky before launching her next spell. " _Water Bullet!"_

" _Airspace: Bubble Barrier!"_

Streams of pressurized water bullets shot out from Juvia and blasted towards Aria, who quickly countered by surrounding himself in a spinning air bubble, deflecting the projectile. Soon enough, the battle turned into a makeshift dogfight, Juvia's water body weaving in and out of Aria's air blasts and the blind man doing the same, his bubble barrier also giving him limited flight.

Meanwhile, Happy was currently looking around for his opponent. A minute or so into their fight, Sol had used his magic to fade into the canyon walls. Now the blue lion was looking around, trying to find the green-haired man. And do so, he asked himself one question: what would Natsu do?

'He would trust his senses.' The magical feline concluded. So he closed his eyes, focusing on his sense of smell and hearing. And soon enough, he heard the sound of stone moving behind him. With a roar, he opened his eyes and brought his claw down, smashing what he thought was Sol to pieces.

"What the?" Happy asked as he saw the Sol-shaped rubble. "Some kind stone dummy?"

"Correct, Monsieur Pussycat," Sol said from underneath Happy. But before the blue feline could react, the monocle-wearing man cast his next spell.

" _Earth Net!"_

Pillars of stone burst around Happy before closing in and trapping him, leaving only his head and legs visible as he tried to escape. Sol then materialized in front of him.

"Now stay put like ze beast you are." The man scoffed, the sight Happy's bestial form dredging up unpleasant memories of Elfman. He then turned from the struggling feline towards the still unconscious Zeke and Totomaru.

"Poor Mousier Totomaru; taken down by Fairy Tail rabble," Sol stated in a dangerous tone as he walked towards Zeke's prone body. On a nearby cliffside, Aria had managed to catch Juvia inside of an Air Lock spell, the rain woman trying and failing to escape. But as she did, she saw Sol approaching Zeke.

"But fret not, mon ami." The green-haired man stated before holding his right hand out, a brown magic circle appearing. "I shall finish what you started.  _Earth Spear."_

Pieces of stone flowed into Sol's open hand before taking the form of a spear. And with the murderous glint in his eyes, it was obvious to all conscious parties what his intent was.

"You… STAY AWAY FROM MY FRIEND!" Happy shouted as he continued to struggle against the Earth Net to no avail.

Juvia watched on helplessly as she redoubled her efforts to escape Aria's spell.

"Aria! Please stop this!" Juvia screamed out as the clouds above started to gather to the point of blocking out the sun. "Sol's going to kill Zeke!"

"So what?" The blind man stated. "He deserves his death, like all of Fairy Tail."

"Please stop this! I beg of you!" The blue-haired woman shouted, her eyes become more crazed and desperate, the clouds above beginning to rumble. But Aria simply ignored her, leaving Juvia helpless as Sol approached the defenseless Zeke, raising the spear up.

"No."

"And now, Monsieur Hudson…"

"No."

"I shall bid you…"

"No."

"ADIEU!" Sol shouted, ready to stab the brunette right through the heart.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Juvia screamed, her voice reverberating throughout the canyon. Mana crackled around her body as two magic circles appeared in her eyes. At the peak of her scream, a bolt of lightning shot down from the clouds and struck Sol who shrieked in pain as his spear chattered.

"T-That's some insane luck." Happy commented, thinking Sol was struck by a random bolt of lighting. When the bolt faded, Sol was lying on the ground, his body smoking and burnt.

"M-Merde." Sol whimpered out before fading into unconsciousness.

Stunned by this recent development, Aria's concentration broke, releasing Juvia from the Air Lock. And suddenly, the blind man felt a wave of murderous intent behind him before being forced to dodge a bolt of lightning.

"Aria…" Juvia said, her voice devoid of all compassion. If Aria could see, he would've noticed that the rain woman's eyes were narrowed, her eyes glowing blue as she radiated a malevolent magical aura. "You...Totomaru...and even Mousier Sol...I'll make you suffer for attacking me and hurting my darling."

'What's with his change in demeanor?!' Aria screamed in his head.

'Juvia's gone crazy!' Happy thought as he looked at Juvia.

In an instant, she unleashed a tidal wave at Aria, who conjured up another air bubble to defend himself, only to be forced to evade more lightning that was attempting to strike him down.

'The pattern of these lightning strikes...it can't be just a coincidence,' Aria thought, realizing the gravity of his situation. After avoiding another bolt of lightning, the blind man blasted himself towards his fallen comrades and gathered them by his feet.

" _Airspace: Updraft!"_

In a quick burst of air, the Element Three vanished from Fulcrum Canyon, leaving behind the three members of Fairy Tail as it started to rain, a rare sight in this area.

A few minutes later, Zeke woke up and found his head resting in Juvia's lap. Happy was also standing next to him in his smaller form as rain fell from the sky.

"Guys...what happened?"

"You and that fire guy both knocked each other out." Happy stated. "And Juvia went crazy and took down the blindfold guy and the monocle guy."

"Is that so?" The brunette said, thinking back to the battle. In particular, how he and Totomaru continually countered and outmaneuvered each other. It had truly been a first for the archer, and he wasn't quite sure how to feel about it. He then looked up at his sweetheart, seeing her concerned face. It was then that he noticed the rain and put two-and-two together. "Are you okay, Juvia?"

"For the most part." The blue-haired girl replied before looking up at the clouds and sighing. "But I thought causing rain was all behind me."

"Well. it's not so bad." Zeke said, getting her attention. Although injured, the archer found the strength to hold out his hand, catching some raindrops. "After what I've been through, this rain is a godsend." He then looked up at Juvia with a smile. "And besides, it's your rain. I can feel your magic in every drop...and it's oddly comforting."

Hearing this and seeing that smile brought a soft smile to Juvia's face, the rain around them lightened up and turned into a drizzle. And recognizing the rather amorous atmosphere around Zeke and Juvia, Happy decided to give them some privacy and went to see if the magic mobile still worked.

But as he walked away, there was a part of Happy that couldn't help but feel sad. Sure, he was used to feeling like a bit of a third wheel whenever Natsu and Alyssa got all gross and romantic, but he always figured that could always hang out with Zeke or someone else. But more and more, it seemed like everyone at Fairy Tail was finding someone to call their own. And soon enough, Happy wouldn't have anyone to hang out with.

The fact that he had barely helped in the latest fight due to both being unable to counter Sol's Earth Magic and afraid that he could go berserk didn't help matters either.

Back with the retreating Element Three, Aria began to put two and two together. For as long as he had know Juvia, the rain that followed her had been an eternal mystery to the Airspace Wizard. Considering her magic, it didn't really make sense. However, Totomaru had a theory that he had only shared with Aria.

'It seems you weren't crazy after all, Totomaru,' the blindfolded man thought as he felt the rain lighten. 'Juvia's magic, her true First Origin, is not Water Magic, but Weather Magic.' He couldn't help crack a smile at the thought. He'd been skeptical at the idea, but this encounter more than confirmed the Pyromancer's theory.

'How ironic that we are know of her First Origin, but she does not,' Aria thought. He heard a groan behind and turned to face a groggy Totomaru.

He swordsman got up and saw the dark expression on Aria's face and Sol's crispy appearance, he quickly surmised that the three had lost. But while that might have been the case, the pyromancer swore that they would try again, and that next time, they would have their vengeance.

Especially against that infuriating Ezekiel Hudson.

_**Fairy Tail Guildhall…** _

"So what exactly have you two been doing?" Erza asked Gray and Elfman as Team Maelstrom sat down to eat dinner. The two male members of the team were bruised, tired, and out of breath with most of their clothing destroyed (or at least whatever clothing Gray was still wearing.)

"We have begun our journey to becoming real men!" Elfman said with a raised fists. Erza and Cana looked at each other with incredulous looks before turning back to the guys.

"You want to be more specific?" Cana asked.

But Elfman and Gray weren't the only ones feeling the strain from their training. At the bar, Natsu was eating his weight in fried chicken while Lucy rested her tired head on the bar.

"Erza's a freakin' sadist," Lucy grumbled remembering her earlier training routine, AKA Erza throwing metal balls and blunted knives at the blonde to teach her evasion and deflecting.

"I could've told you that," The salmon-haired dragon-slayer responded before noticing his sister and Natalie (or mosshead as he liked to call her) walking towards them. Hoshi was carrying something wrapped in cloth and Natalie carrying a box.

"Yo, Natsu, Lucy!" The behatted woman said with an excited smile on her face. "Check this out!"

With a flourish, the burgundy-haired woman removed the wrapping and revealed an elegant silver and gold staff with a shining purple orb held by four prongs.

"Woah! That's…..what is that?" Natsu asked. A mischievous smile appeared on her face before she aimed it at her brother's dinner.

"Just watch this!  _Gravity Negate!"_ The purple orb on top of the staff glowed before a matching glow appeared on the fried chicken. The platter of poultry then began to levitate in the air...and rose until it hit the roof.

"Cool!" Natsu shouted.

"I know, right!" Hoshi said as she gave her staff a twirl before placing an arm around Natalie's shoulders. "And it's all thanks to this little gem for teaching me how to use a forge."

"Aw, don't sweat it," Natalie said with a bashful smile.

"Well, that's great… can I get my dinner back?" Natsu asked, pointing to the floating plate. Hoshi compiled and snapped her fingers, canceling her spell...which ended up causing the plate to turn and the chicken to fall around and on Natsu. Not that he seemed to mind as he picked a piece of fried chicken from his hair and ate it. "Thanks!"

"Alright, I'm gonna give these scraps to Gajeel," Natalie explained. "See ya later, Hoshi."

"See ya, Nat." The burgundy haired woman said before she began chatting with her teammates.

Speaking of teammates, Natalie walked over to a table where Gajeel was strumming his guitar and Robin was eating some pasta.

"Bada bada bada, centerfold. Bada bada bada, stranglehold...No wait, that sounds stupid." The Iron Dragon-Slayer thought aloud. On the table in front of him were lyrics for next song with a quite few of them crossed out. The black-haired man then noticed his teammate walking towards the table. "Hey Nat, what's a good word to rhyme with centerfold?"

"That might depend on the context," The green-haired girl said as she took a seat and placed her box of scraps on the table. "Anyway, hope you're hungry."

She then slid the box towards Gajeel, whose face lit up like a child on Christmas day. "Oh yeah, that's what I'm talking about!" The iron dragon-slayer grabbed a piece of tempered iron and chomped down on it. "Mmmmm! So good!"

As Gajeel continued to go to town on the scraps with an elated expression, the two ladies at the table couldn't help but giggle. "What?"

"You look so cute when you're eating iron, Gajeel," Robin stated, making him choke.

"I ain't cute, dammit!" He shouted, which only made the two giggle even more. As this was going on, Evergreen was passing by until she noticed something reflecting light in her direction. That something as the new frost ring on Natalie's left pointer finger. Out of mild curiosity, the bespectacled woman took a closer look at the ring, and her eyes light with awe.

"Amazing!" She shouted as she ran towards the table, freaking out the Unholy Trinity as she did so.

"FHAT DA BUT!?" Gajeel yelled with a mouth full of scraps. Evergreen took hold of Natalie's left hand to examine the ring closer, making the tracksuit-wearing girl more than a little surprised.

"Hey, what's the big idea?!" The green-haired girl shouted. The taller woman then looked down at her with a joyous look.

"The craftsmanship on the ring is simply divine! You have to tell me where you bought it!"

And when Natalie started to take a closer look at Evergreen, she took note of the dark brown eyes behind her glasses, her long and wavy light brown hair, and the location of her green guild mark...which lead her eyes to her decently-sized breasts. All in all, at least to Natalie, Evergreen was an extremely beautiful woman.

"I...I made them myself," Natalie said with a faint blush on her cheeks, surprising Evergreen.

"Really?" She said as she looked at the rings again, bringing Natalie's hand to her eye-level again and causing the smaller woman to blush even redder. All the while, Gajeel and Robin looked on with cautiously (especially since they remembered how she turned the Iron Dragon-Slayer into stone.)

But while everyone was going about their day, a stranger walked into the Guildhall. She was a tall woman with long black hair in a high ponytail, fair skin, and black eyes. Her wardrobe consisted of a white jacket adorned with brightly colored floral patterns, loose dark blue pants, and brown traveling sandals. She looked around and saw Natsu, Lucy, and Hoshi (the latter laughing as her brother attempted to pull a piece of chicken from an angry Lucy's hair.) The black-haired woman then approached the three and spoke up.

"Excuse me." The three turned and saw the woman. But while Natsu and Lucy looked at her normally, they failed to notice the shocked expression on Hoshi's face. "Do you know where I can find the Guild Master?"

"Yup," Natsu replied before pointing to the stairs. "Just take the stairs and walk to the end of the right hall. It's the office at the very end."

"Cool. Thanks." The black-haired woman said before walking towards the staircase. But while Natsu and Lucy went back to their comical argument about personal space, Hoshi glared at the woman, her face seething with anger.

'What the fuck is she doing here?' The behatted woman said in her head. It had been a few years since had encountered this woman, but it was definitely her. One of the most infamous freelance wizards in Fiore.

Orochi Kubo, the Origami Goddess.

_To be continued…_


	20. Pride

_Chapter 20: Pride_

**_The Southern Sea Forest…_ **

'And that's the east section all cleared,' Alyssa thought as she crossed out that section of the forest on her map. For the past two days, the orange-haired Wizard had been searching the gargantuan forest by directional area. So far she had searched the Southern and Eastern sections, her Speed Magic making things a tad bit easier. But even with her speed, it was still a vast amount of land to cover.

'Guess that Rendon guy really doesn't want to be found,' Alyssa thought to herself before leaning back against a tree. 'Just what happened to make him such a recluse?'

As she pondered this, her exhaustion started to catch up with her and she yawned. The Speed Queen decided to take a quick power nap before she moved on to the Western section.

Soon enough, Alyssa's mind began to drift off and she fell asleep.

_Fire blazed all around her, consuming the caravan and the nearby vegetation._

_A young girl looked on in shock, covered in her mother's blood._

_In the midst of the inferno was a silver-haired man. Her uncle lay dead at his feet, heart torn from his chest. As the man bit into it like an apple, he turned to the girl, his yellow eyes glimmering and glittering in ecstasy. As his mouth curled into a scarlet grin, she screamed._

"AHHHH!" Alyssa screamed. She bolted up in a cold sweat and lashed out, spooking the birds around her. With her breath hitched, she took a look around her but found nothing but trees, bushes, and the animals that called the forest home. With no threat in sight, Alyssa took a deep breath to calm herself down, something that had become more common during her long and lonesome journey.

She wiped the sweat from herself and knit her brow. 'What the hell is wrong with me?'

While it was true that nightmares concerning… that event was something the Amazonian woman was familiar with, they were the rare exception rather than the rule. Something that occurs once in a blue moon. But ever since she'd left Magnolia, they'd become more frequent with every passing day.

'It must be because I saw…him.' She thought with clenched fists, thinking back to her encounter with the Shadowman in the Badlands. She then looked at her arms and conjured her gauntlets. 'But I'll master my Soul Armor Magic. And when I see that monster again, I'll rip him to pieces.'

With renewed determination, Alyssa picked up her bags and began her search once more.

_**Meanwhile…** _

For the last few days, Natsu had gotten into a bit of a routine with Ju Liu. He would attempt to meditate, perform his martial arts poses, and even got some practice with his new Tekko Kagi. The salmon-haired dragon-slayer was currently in the midst of slashing apart a training dummy with his claw weapon.

"Good to see a strong work ethic isn't lost on your generation.." Natsu turned and saw his master walking towards him, her cane in one hand and a cup of morning tea in the other. "But put those away for now."

"Oh, are we moving onto a new exercise?" The salmon-haired man excitingly asked, the diminutive woman nodding in response.

"Now pay attention, you hooligan," Ju stated as she placed her cane and cup down. As Natsu watched her, the old woman closed her eyes. After tapping into her inner mana, Ju opened her eyes, which were now glowing with yellow energy. In an instant, the yellow rhino effigy manifested around her, letting out a grunt. "This is the next stage of your training: Casual Manifestation."

"...okay. What's so special about it?" Natsu asked.

Ju rolled her eyes.

"Tell me, boy; have you ever called upon your Beast Aura when you weren't fighting?"

Natsu thought back and released just what his teacher was getting at.

"Never. I've only used my Beast Aura during intense battles."

"So try to summon it now."

Natsu nodded and then closed his eyes. He looked deep within himself and heard the faint roar of a dragon. The salmon-haired wizard then attempted to bring that dragon to the surface…and nothing happened. He attempted this again and again, but all he managed to get was a tiny amount of red aura manifesting in his palms

"And therein lies the problem; as you are now, you can only call upon your Beast Aura when you're either in danger or incredibly angry," Ju stated as Natsu panted like he just ran a marathon. "Shou Quantou Rule #23: Circumstantial Power might as well be no power. So your next exercise is to keep trying until you can manifest your full Beast Aura until it's as easy as drawing breath."

Meanwhile, another training session was occurring behind Fairy Hills. Lucy was currently in the midst of deflecting Erza's sword strikes. While at first, the concept of dueling one of the best sword-users in the guild freaked her out, the blonde woman had quickly gotten used to it. She had even taken to Erza's advice and bought a pair of brown swordsman gloves so she wouldn't need to worry about blisters.

Currently, Erza was still clad in her Heart Kreuz armor and using a single sword to attack Lucy. So far, the blonde was becoming adept at blocking side and cross strikes in succession. As such, the redhead decided to change things up and swung her sword at the ground, kicking up some dust that got in Lucy's eyes. Erza then shoulder-checked her blonde apprentice on her ass, followed by holding her sword to her neck.

"Okay, how was that fair?"

"You think a dark guild wizard is going to fight fair?" Erza asked.

"Good point," Lucy said as she got back up and rubbed the dust out of her eyes. She got back up and the two ladies began their sword fighting once more. However, they would receive a sudden interruption came in a burst of light.

"Hi, Lucy! What's goinAAAHHH!" Lupus shouted as she dodged a swing from Erza.

"Oh my god!" The redhead shouted in shock, dismissing her sword as she and Lucy looked down at the shocked wolf spirit. "I'm so sorry!"

"Are you okay, Lupus?" Lucy asked.

"I saw my life flash before my eyes." The wolf girl said with wide-shocked eyes. "I haven't bathed nearly as much as I should've."

The blonde girl then sighed. "Look, I appreciate the company. But you seriously need to give me some kind of warning before you just decide to jump through the gate."

"Hm. You raise a good point, Lucy. After all, you could be in another training session." Lupus contemplated before her smile turned mischievous. "Or maybe having some naughty fun with Mr. Freed."

"Shut up!" The no -blushing Lucy shouted while Erza gained a scandalous/shocked look on her face.

"I had no idea you and Freed were that far in your relationship."

"We're not!"

_**Meanwhile, at Fairy Tail..** _ _._

While most everyone in the Guildhall was having a good time, there were some that were hoping a small section of the roof would fall and crush someone. One of these people was Hoshi, who had been spending a good part of her morning glaring daggers at the new arrival; Orochi Kubo.

According to Mirajane, the wasn't uncommon for wandering wizards to join a guild on a temporary basis while they were in the area. In fact, these temporary wizards didn't even need a guild mark. The collective term for these wandering wizards was the Markless.

And that's exactly what Orochi was, as she was currently looking over several job posters while she ate her lunch.

"You feelin' okay, Hoshi?" Natalie asked, sitting next to Hoshi at the Guild's bar.

The behatted woman turned to her friend. "Ya. Why do you ask?"

"Well, you've been trying to stare a hole into the new girl's head all morning," the Ring Wizard stated. "You got a bad history with her?"

Hoshi's eyes narrowed. "No," she replied, gripping the bar so tight her knuckles turned white.

Natalie gave her a flat look. "That's a bold-faced lie if I've ever heard one."

"Look, I'm not in the mood to talk about it," Hoshi said with a sigh before turning towards Mirajane. "Hey, Mira. Can I get a glass of rum?"

"Sorry, Hoshi, Alex bought all of it yesterday," Mirajane explained, concern tinging her voice. "We're getting a delivery tomorrow and I'll make sure he doesn't take it all for himself."

"Okay, then I'll take a beer," The burgundy-haired staff wizard said. Mira did just that, handing Hoshi her beverage. Hoshi twisted the cap off and started to sip.

"'Kay. See ya." Natalie said as the staff wizard got up and started walking through the Guildhall. But as she walked the hall and glanced at Orochi, Hoshi felt the rage boiling in the pit of her stomach.

"Excuse me." Hoshi turned to see Orochi staring directly at her, a sour look on the dark haired woman's face. "You've been glaring at me ever since I arrived here, and I'm curious as to why?"

Hoshi grit her teeth as the anger in the pit of her stomach continued to grow. 'Does she seriously not remember, or is she just toying with me?'

"I don't know what you're talking about," the Staff Wizard spat dismissively.

Orochi smirked. "Oh, I get it," she said as he reached into her pocket.

Hoshi's body tensed, ready to summon one of her staves at a moment's notice.

"You're jealous of my hair," Orochi said with a smile as she pulled out a tiny bottle of shampoo. The black haired woman giggled. "Don't be shy, I know hard it is to maintain long hair in our line of work, but there's no need to get bent out of shape." She put the bottle down near Hoshi. "Here, take this. It's specially formulated to protect your hair for the modern Wizard on the go."

Hoshi was silent, take aback by Orochi's unexpected behavior. "I DON'T WANT YOUR GODDAMN SHAMPOO!" She screamed as she sent the bottle flying with the back of her hand. Hoshi stormed off, beer in hand before her anger grew beyond her and control and she did something she regretted.

Orochi (and everyone else in the Guildhall) stared at the behatted woman's retreating form. Suddenly, what looked like a tiny paper crane landed on the table clutching the tiny bottle of shampoo.

"What on Earthland is her problem?" Orochi pondered as the paper crane turned back into a sheet and flew into her pocket.

_**Solivar…** _

Even though they had been delayed by the Element Three's surprise attack, Zeke, Juvia, and Happy managed to make it Juvia's hometown and the base of the Titan Nose Guild. It was a quaint little port town similar to Hargeon. Aside from its Guild, the town was also known for its wide assortment of imports and markets.

"Ah, it's just how I remember," Juvia said with joy as she led Zeke and Happy around the town. As they walked, someone in the crowd noticed them and started walking towards them.

"It's so pretty." Happy commented while Zeke looked around. At the edge of the town and near the water was the Titan Nose was a huge five-story guildhall made of dark purple brick. Compared to some of the other guildhalls he had seen, it had a fairly simplistic design.

"Oh, I wonder if Celio's is still open?" Juvia wondered. "They serve these cute little pizzas that are just to die for."

"Well, we're going to be here for awhile, so we should definitely try them." The brunette commented. "So, what do you guys wanna do first?"

"Juvia?" A deep, smooth voice asked. The three turned and saw an old, portly man with brown eyes behind a pair of glasses. He wore a white button shirt and black pants with suspenders & brown boots. In his hands were buckets of freshly caught fish. But the most noticeable thing about him was the short blue hair and matching beard. The exact same shade of blue as Juvia's.

Her face lit up at the sight of him. "Papa!"

The man then teared up, dropped his buckets, and then ran up to hug his daughter.

"Juvia!" The man comically cried as the two hugged, twin fountains of tears flowing down from his eyes, freaking out Zeke and Happy. "It's been forever since you've visited! Your poor Papa has been worried sick!"

"But I've still been sending you letters," Juvia said with a slight sweatdrop.

"That's not the same!" He continued as his daughter patted his back. After he bit, he noticed the two onlookers and recomposed himself.

"Oh… um, hello," he said quickly, holding his hand out. "The name's Abraham Lockser."

'Well, he got over that quickly,' Zeke thought.

He smiled and shook Abraham's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you; my name's Ezekiel Hudson. But you can call me Zeke."

"And I'm Happy!" The blue cat said.

"I see," Abraham said before going back to his buckets. "Here you go, kitty."

He then tossed a fish into the air, which Happy was more than… happy to jump for it. He caught the fish in his mouth and began snacking.

"So you're the Zeke my little raindrop's been mentioning in all of her letters," Abraham said with a smile.

"I suppose so." The brunette said before looking at his girlfriend, who was sporting quite the bashful expression.

"Well then, a pleasure to meet you, future son-in-law, " Abraham said, causing both Zeke and Juvia to turn bright red.

"W-wait, what?!"

"Papa!"

"Now, come along!' Abraham said, grabbing both Zeke and Juvia's hand and leading them, Happy grabbing the fish buckets and following them. "Tessa's probably starting dinner by now."

'Well, I guess meeting Juvia's parents is the first item on the agenda.' Zeke thought to himself as he was dragged along. Although it wasn't so bad, after all, the Titan Nose guild wasn't going anywhere.

_**The Southern Sea Forest…** _

As Alyssa continued her trek of the ridiculously large woods, she was getting pretty tired. Not only was it easy to get lost (with every tree and bush almost looking the same), but she yet to encounter any other intelligent life.

'Well, better get back to it.' Alyssa thought to herself. 'It's not like Balam Rendon going to fall out of the sky and right in front of me."

"AAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIEEEEE!" The orange-haired woman was startled by the sound of a man screaming before a being in armor fell in front of her with a large crash, creating a small crater. The dust soon cleared and revealed a man in a suit of ornate panther-like armor of white and gold with gold claws on each gauntlet and a metal tail. Immediately, Alyssa recognized it from the article she'd read at Fairy Tail. This was the Soul Armor of Balam Rendon.

"It's not like a large bowl of chocolate pudding is going to magically appear in my hands," The Amazonian woman said before holding out her hands. Nothing happened. "Oh well, worth a shot."

She then quickly aided her fellow Soul Armor wizard out of the crater, Balam himself groaning.

" _Thank you, señorita,"_ the armored man stated before looking at her face. Specifically the guild mark on her left cheek. " _Ah, a Fairy Tail wizard! Good, I could use the assistance."_

Alyssa raised an eyebrow. "With what?"

Suddenly, the trees to the north were blasted away as a massive, lumbering green creature appeared where they once stood. It was plant-like in nature, like a giant mutated venus flytrap. It had many spiked tentacles (twenty of which served as its legs), a maw of over a hundred person-sized teeth, and three beady eye stocks protruding from its bulbous head as it let out an inhuman roar.

" _Particularly this fat bastard."_

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT THING?!"

" _It's called an Emerald Vorasism. And it's pretty damn tasty,"_ Balam said as he cracked his knuckles.

"Wait, you're going to eat that?!"

" _Don't be ridiculous, I'm not a savage. First I have to kill him, have my wife cook him, and then eat him."_

"...Fair enough, I guess." The orange-haired woman said before getting into a combat stance, summoning her Empress Gauntlets & Boots. Balam's eyes widened behind his helmet. Alyssa then charged towards the Emerald Vorasism, her magic channeling all through her body.

" _Speed Queen: Thousand-Strike Punch!"_

But as Alyssa began to pummel the plant monster's gullet with her armor-clad fists, a few of the tentacles sprouted spikes and lashed out at her. However, Balam saw this and readied his own spell.

" _Leaping Panther Clap!"_

With white magic energy flowing into his clawed gauntlets and boots, Balam blasted into the air and slashed at the Vorasism's tentacles, its yellow fluid flowing from the mutilated limbs. In response, several pustules grew out of its upper body and popped, sending dozens of yellowish-green orbs into the air.

" _Watch out for the acid mines!"_ The armored man warned as he readied another spell. " _Panther Tail Smash!"_

With mana around his armor's tail, Balam spun down, smashing the plant-like creature in the head. Alyssa heard the warning and quickly leap back as the mines exploded on the ground, dissolving the dirt, foliage, and everything it touched. Even worse is that the Vorasism continued to make more and more acid mines, basically surrounding itself in hundreds of death traps.

" _Now that's a major pain in the ass,"_ Balam commented while Alyssa decided to try a new idea, reading her next spell.

" _Speed Queen: Vibration Break!"_ She chanted before slamming her vibrating arms on the ground, disorientating the creature. Seeing an opportunity, Alyssa charged ahead, ready to sock it in the stomach with an Empress Knuckle.

" _Wait!"_ Balam shouted, but was too late. As Alyssa tried to weave past the acid mines, one of them exploded near her. Balam's shout got Alyssa's attention, giving her just enough time to leap back and avoid getting drenched in the acid. However, some the acid still got her. Or more specifically, the middle of her ponytail.

"Crap!" Alyssa shouted. The acid ate through her hair in an instant and it unceremoniously fell to the ground. "Damn it, that was close."

" _Ya, the damn mines are near instantaneous."_ The armored man explained to the now short-haired Alyssa. Said orange-haired girl thought about this for a moment, thinking about the magic at her disposal.

"You got any long-range spells?"

" _Just two. Why?"_

"Perfect," Alyssa replied, gathering the magic within her. "You make an opening, and I'll hit that weird plant thing with everything I've got.  _Speed Queen: Overclock!"_

Two purple magic circles appeared above each of Alyssa's shoulders as her skin turned red. She then ran around and past the Vorasism at supersonic speed, boosted by the jets on her boots. Balam saw this, and smiled under his helmet, catching onto Alyssa's plan real quick.

" _I see what you're doing, señorita. Don't worry; Balam Rendon never disappoints!"_ He said before gathering magic into his claws. " _Twin Panther Claw Slash!"_

With two slashes of his arms, Balam unleashed eight crescent blades of magic at the Vorasism, popping the acid mines in front of it and leaving some fresh gashes across its torso and head. The spell also created a wide opening in the acid minefield.

As this was going on, Alyssa was circling around the entire Southern Sea Forest, picking more and more momentum as she ran. In a few seconds, she once again saw the Vorasism in her line of view and reared her right arm back, the orange gem on the gauntlet glowing brilliantly and steam blasting from the side vents.

" _SPEED QUEEN: SONIC KNUCKLE!"_

In a split second, Alyssa's armored fist came into contact with the plant-like monster, causing a massive sonic boom and a burst of magical energy. The impact of the attack not only blasted a hole in the Vorasism's torso but knocked into a row of trees. After one final wheeze, the deadly creature finally stopped moving and died.

Balam whistled at the incredible display of magic. " _Yup, you're definitely a Fairy Tail wizard."_

He then noticed Alyssa's magic circles and Soul Armor vanish as she began to wobble. However, she managed to get her footing, panting like crazy and sweating like a dog.

" _You alright?"_

Alyssa nodded. "Overclocking just takes a lot out of me. But it used to worse; doing that used to make me faint."

" _I see,"_ Balam replied before walking towards the large corpse. " _Well, thanks for the assist, señorita. But please tell Maki that I'm not interested in coming back to the guild."_

Hearing this made Alyssa raise an eyebrow. Gramps didn't send me. I came here for my own reason."

" _And that is?"_

After wiping the sweat from her brow, the orange-haired woman stood up straight with a determined expression. "I want you to train me! I've looked into it, and my Soul Armor is incomplete for some reason! So I figured a master would be able to teach me what I'm doing wrong!"

The armored man looked at the young woman in front of him. There was no questioning her determination. He could tell that just by looking at her. Hell, she didn't even seem that bothered by her ruined hair. Her brand of magic was also impressive, even if-like she said-her Soul Armor magic was not quite right. After mulling over it for a bit, the armored man spoke up.

" _What's your name, señorita?"_

"Alyssa Grunewald."

" _Well then,"_ he began to say as he dismissed his armor. Despite clearly the same age as Makarov and Ju Liu, he still possessed an incredibly muscular physique for his age, and was almost as tall as Alyssa herself. He had short white hair, a bit of stubble on his chin, orange eyes, reddish-brown skin with several faded scars, a white undershirt, and black shorts. "Allow me to formally introduce myself. The name's Balam Rendo; pleased to meet you."

He then held his hand out, and with a smile, Alyssa shook his hand.

"Same."

And just like that, a new bond had been forged.

_To be continued…_


	21. Welcome to our Home!

_Chapter 21: Welcome to our Home!_

_**The Tower of Heaven…** _

Within the bowels of the tower, the residents of the lower area were busy keeping the tower clean. Accompanying them were the usual sounds of chisels against stones, brooms sweeping the floors…

"Move faster, you worthless worms!"

…and whips striking against flesh.

Hundreds of people clothed in threadbare rags and drenched in sweat worked tirelessly in the dark bowels of the Tower of Heaven. Men, women, children even, all were forced to work towards the completion of the Cult of Zeref's ambition. With their heads shaved, their skin riddled with scars, and their bodies malnourished and dehydrated, it was as if all hope had been sucked out of them and only husks were left behind.

As a group of slaves moved a huge stone block, a decrepit old man with a ragged and stained white beard collapsed, his thin body barely making a sound as it hit the floor.

"Dad!" A man said as he broke from the group and ran to the old man. "Dad, come one, you can't stop now. You've got to keep going or else-"

"WHAT THE HELL'S GOING ON HERE!" A portly man dressed in purple robes and a white mask shouted as he stomped towards the father and son with a whip held in his left hand.

"N-nothing master," the man said. "He was just about to get back to work. We're fine."

"Oh really," the portly man said with a scowl. "Get up!" He yelled as he kicked the old man's side.

The old man groaned but did not move.

"I said get up!" Another kick.

The old man clawed at the ground with blackened fingernails, trying desperately to press his palms against the floor and push himself up, but with a raspy breath, his body failed him.

"Zeref damn it, not another one," The portly man said as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He turned around and shouted, "HEY, LADY MERLE!"

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT, PHARN?!" A tall and thin woman in far nicer purple robes fastened with thin gold chains and a much more ornate white mask shouted back from atop a platform that oversaw the whole floor.

"THIS GEEZER'S DONE FOR! IT CAN'T MOVE ANOTHER INCH," Pharn replied.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TELLING ME FOR?! THROW IT TO THE DOGS LIKE THE REST AND GET BACK TO WORK, YOU STUPID SACK OF LARD!"

The portly man muttered something that didn't sound very nice under his breath and turned back to the old man. "Well, looks like you're doggy chow," Pharn drawled as he extended his hand as it was enveloped in a dark purple aura.

At the top of the old man's back, just below the neck, was a brand; a hexagram with Z in its center. It was something all the slaves shared. Suddenly, the old man's brand began to glow the same color as Pharn's hand. The old man was lifted off the ground, following the motions of the portly cultist's hand.

"NO!" a girl no older than ten screamed as she broke the from the formation and ran towards Pharn and the old man. "Don't take my grandpa, please don't take-"

"QUIET!" Pharn bellowed as he raised his whip and lashed out.

The girl screamed as she crashed to the ground, blood pouring from her face. Beside her laid her left eye, torn from its socket by the cultist's whip.

"Zeref damn it, look at what you did," Pharn growled as he stared down at the girl. "Don't you stupid animals realize we need every slave we can get our hands on? If you lose the other eye, I'll have to feed you to the dogs like this one." He punctuated his tirade by shaking the old man. "Toss out that eye and get bandaged up," he told the girl before turning to the other slaves. "The rest of you get back to work, now! The promised day is almost upon us and we can't afford to slow down."

From a balcony far above the pit, Silas looked upon the slaves impassively, almost bored.

"Where the hell are they?"

He looked back and saw Ouroboros with an elbow on the table as she rested her face in one hand and drummed her fingers against the wood with the other.

"I don't see why I even need to be here. There are much better things I could be doing with my time." Her eyes made their way to Silas, a piercing and dangerous look to them.

" **Patience, my dear, Oro,"**  Silas said as he stalked from the railing to the table. " **We're early and they should be arriving any moment."** He pulled out an intricately designed silver pocket watch, a true marvel of craftsmanship, and checked the time.

Ouroboros raised an eyebrow. "Since when do you have a pocket watch?"

" **Since yesterday,"** Silas answered as he put it away. " **One the Cultists took it off a fresh slave and gave it to me as an** _ **offering,"**_  his expression turned sour at the last word. " **Normally I'd just throw whatever they give me away or burn it, but I couldn't stand the idea of something this beautiful being mixed in with the garbage, so I kept it."**

Both turned their heads at the sound of approaching footsteps. Jellal stepped onto the balcony alongside an ancient looking old man with a long white hair with an equally long beard and mustache. He wore elegant purple robes, an incredibly ornate white mask, and a tall, and pointed black hat. He was also bound to a wheelchair

The wheelchair was pushed along by a teenager with short, icy blue hair who also wore the Zeref Cult's uniform.

"It is a pleasure to see you again, Lord Silas, Demonic Master of Shadows," Jellal said with a bow. "Allow me to introduce you to the genius behind this whole operation. Without him, there would be no Tower of Heaven."

"You speak far too kindly of me, Master Jellal. I merely do as our Dark Lord wishes," the wheelchair-bound man said. "Greetings, Lord Silas. I am Rasim, head architect of the Tower of Heaven. I would bow, but I sadly cannot in my condition." He gestured to the young man pushing the wheelchair. "This is my great-grandson, Noah."

"I am humbled and honored to be in your presence, Lord Silas," Noah said, reverence and awe palpable in his voice. "Truly we are blessed to have you here. It must be a sign from The Great Zeref himself that our cause is just and right."

" **Yes,"**  Silas said as he leaned against the railing with one hand, gripping it so tightly it was a miracle it hadn't been crushed to dust. " **Your work brings glory to my father. I am honored to work with you and blessed that Jellal found me."** With every word, it felt as if Silas was stabbing himself in the head. He fought to keep down his feeling of disgust and rage, wanting nothing more than slaughter the cultists in their entirety.

' **Calm down,'**  Silas thought as took a breath. ' **It won't be much longer now. Just bear with these disgusting, vile things for a bit longer and he'll be back.'** The idea of reuniting with his father allowed Silas to reign in his emotions, and a smile appeared on his face.

" **Now then,"** he said as he sat at the table. " **Shall we get started?"**

_**Solivar…** _

After walking through the residential area, Abraham led his daughter and her friends to his home, a two-story house made of warm red bricks. The four entered the house, seeing the cozy environment. From the hallway entrance, they could smell a dinner of noodles being cooked. Upon entering the living room, they saw a woman with long black hair & blue eyes who wore a blue sweater, jeans, and a white apron.

At the sound of their footsteps, the woman looked up and saw them, her face lighting up with a smile at a particular blue-haired woman.

"Juvia!" The woman cheered, rushing to hug her daughter.

"Mama!" The Rain Woman exclaimed before the two hugged. After a few seconds of embracing, Juvia's mother looked and saw her husband, the young man standing next to him, and the blue cat.

"Oh, hello there," she said before bowing. "I'm Tessa Lockser. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Zeke then gave a bow of his own. "Ezekiel Hudson. But you can call me Zeke."

"And I'm Happy," the blue cat greeted. Tessa was taken aback by his ability to talk.

"Hello, honey!" Abraham said, leaning up to kiss his wife on the cheek, making her giggle. "Can you believe I ran into our little raindrop on the way home from work?"

"My, my. What a happy coincidence," Tessa replied with a smile before remembering that she had noodles cooking. "Oh, I have to get back to cooking. Everyone, make yourselves comfortable! Dinner should be ready shortly."

"Aye," Happy replied before immediately jumping on the recliner and relaxing on it. Zeke followed suit, sitting on the couch. As he did so, he looked around and saw pictures of a younger Juvia with her parents and relatives. But he also noticed that in many of them, Juvia's face had the same blank, unperturbed expression on her face, the same one she'd had the day they'd met. Looking at his girlfriend now, Zeke couldn't even imagine that look on Juvia's face.

"Oh, sweetie, I found that old charm you were looking for a while back. It's on your bed." Abraham said as he went down into the basement.

"Thank you, Papa!" Juvia replied before turning to Zeke and her mother. "I'll be right back."

"'Kay." Zeke replied as the blue-haired woman cheerfully ran up the stairs. And as Zeke took a book to relax with from his backpack, Tessa looked at her daughter's retreating figure and the young man she brought home, a knowing smile on her face as she continued cooking.

_**Meanwhile in the Southern Sea Forest…** _

"When's the last time someone cut your hair?"

Currently, Alyssa was sitting in a chair inside Balam's cozy little cabin. Behind her was an elderly woman with fluffy silvery hair, terracotta colored skin, and amber eyes who wore a loose and flowy yellow dress adorned with orange flowers. This was Balam's wife, Corona Rendon.

After killing the Vorasism and greeting each other, Balam led Alyssa to his home. From there, they were greeted by his wife, who after their introduction almost instantly noticed the messed up state of Alyssa's hair. And so, with Balam taking a well-deserved shower, Corona insisted on fixing the young lady's hair.

"Actually, I haven't had a real haircut since I was a kid," the orange-haired girl replied. "I mean it's not like I haven't been taking care of it."

"I can tell," Corona said as ran her fingers through the silky locks as she evened out the younger woman's hair. After another few minutes, the elderly woman had finished. "Alright, darling. Take a look."

After being handed a hand mirror, Alyssa took a look at her new haircut. Her hair now stopped right below her chin, giving her a bit of a tomboyish look. It was a tad odd, but she figured she'd get used to it.

"Hmph. Not bad," The now short-haired woman said. "Awesome job, Mrs. Rendon."

"Gracias. But please, you can just call me Corona. "

Afterward, Balam walking into the living room, fresh from the showers and now dressed in his pajamas. Seeing him, Alyssa jump out of her chair.

"Alright, Mr. Rendon! I'm ready for training!"

"Not now," he responded, making the orange-haired girl deflate. "Look, I just showered and it's getting late. So how about you wait until after dinner and then we can see how far you are with your Soul Armor."

Alyssa was about to protest...until her stomach growled. "Alright."

_**Magnolia…** _

As he been for the last few hours, Gray had been throwing himself into training. Even though Elfman had called it a day, the black-haired wizard decided to keep at it by creating an animated Ice Double of himself to fight.

" _Ice-Make: Blades!"_ Gray shouted as he conjured a pair of ice swords in his hands. The Double saw this and created its own blades before the two began clashing anew. Icy blades clashed against each in a barrage of noise and force. But in his tired state, Gray had tripped on a nearby stone, landing him on his back. The Ice Double leaped to strike down as its caster, ready to deliver the finishing blow. Until…

" _Ice-Make: Drill!"_

A drill of ice flew through the air and pierced right through the Ice Double, causing it to shatter. After some momentary confusion, Gray looked in the direction the drill launched from and saw his mentor, Ur, standing nearby his her right hand stretched out and her left hand on her hip.

"And here I thought ten years would make you less reckless," the black-haired woman stated, before walking over to her student and holding her hand out. With a grunt, Gray took her hand and she helped him up. "Just what the hell were thinking?"

"I'm just training," Gray replied.

"And how long have you been training?" Ur asked with a raised eyebrow.

"...about five...maybe six hours straight."

"Well, that sounds like a full day to me."

Gray said nothing for a while before looking down at his shaking hands, something Ur quickly caught onto.

"Something eating you?" She asked. In response, the younger wizard let out a sigh.

"I guess you can say that. It's just… me and Natsu, we've been rivals ever since we were kids. From the moment I first met him, I wanted to sock him in the jaw." He said with a chuckle. "And for a while, we were pretty much on the same level. But then, somewhere along the line, Natsu just… overtook me."

"What makes you say that?"

"A lot, actually. His blue fire, that Supernova spell, and he even has his Second Origin. And what do I got? The same old Ice-Make Magic. That's why I've been out pushing myself." Gray stated. "I want to see the limits of my Ice-Make Magic and maybe even unlock my own Second Origin."

"…And you think that will put you two on even footing again?"

"…Yes?" Gray asked before getting flicked in the head. "What was that for?"

"For being a dummy. If you think having some new unknown magic will give you an edge, you're dead wrong. Some of the greatest wizards in the world never unlocked their Second Origin, and they're still being talked about today." Ur stated, her expression serious. "And what was that you said before, about Ice-Make Magic having a limit? Well, after all these years I guess you've forgotten the truth of Maker Magic."

Upon hearing this, Gray's eyes widened. "What truth?"

"It was the first lesson I ever gave you, the one and only limit to Maker Magic. And that's this." The Ice-Make Master stated before pointing to her own forehead, a message which was Gray quick to decipher. After that, Ur decided to demonstrate her point and began channeling her magic.

" _Ice-Make: Bear!"_ In a matter of seconds, a large bear made of ice manifested a few feet in front of them. Ur then instantly flowed up with another spell. " _Ice-Make: Armor!"_

With another flash of magic, the bear construct was suddenly adorned in spiked armor, making it far more intimidating. But Ur wasn't done yet.

" _Ice-Make: Gorilla!"_

In seconds, a massive gorilla manifested.

" _Ice-Make: Twin Tomahawk!"_

And seconds later, a tomahawk appeared in each of its hand.

" _Ice-Make: Fortress!"_

A massive fortress was conjured up…

" _Ice-Make: Archers!"_

...and then several copies of Ur dressed as archers lined the walls. All in all, these three combinations of Static and Dynamic Ice-Make Constructs left Gray in awe. It was a simple combination, yet one that the young man had never even considered.

"Do you remember, Gray? Your first lesson, the single limit of Maker Magic." Ur asked.

"Ya, I think I do," The black-haired man said, with eyes shining with realization as he recalled his first day out in the snow with Ur and Lyon. "The only limit of Maker Magic…is the caster's imagination."

And hearing that brought a smile to Ur's face. "Got it in one."

Meanwhile, within the Fairy Tail guildhall's archives, Lucy was currently reading through some historical records, her muscles still sore from her training with Erza. Sitting on the other side of the table was Lupus, who was trying to keep herself from falling asleep. Keyword being 'trying.'

"Luuuuuuucccy, I'm bored!" Lupus grumbled. "Can't we go do something else?"

"Look, this is important," the blonde celestial wizard replied, her eyes never leaving the book she was currently reading.

"But why?" Lupus asked. Lucy said nothing for a bit, contemplating before speaking her mind.

"You remember that Raven Tail guy we fought in the Badlands?" Lucy asked.

"The creepy wood gnome thing that controlled that creepy blue puppet?" Lupus replied, memories of their encounter with Obra coming to mind. Lucy nodded before continuing on.

"Well, something he said has been bothering me for a bit." She said before reciting, "'Your precious Fairy Tail ain't the heroic guild ya think it is. In fact, folks like me have another name for you lot; the Crown's Executioners.'"

Lupus remembered that as well. "So what? He was a bad guy. Don't bad guys lie all the time?"

"That's true. But the way he said it…" Lucy continued, remembering the hatred and venom in his voice. "…it didn't sound like a lie."

"I guess," The small wolf girl replied, slumping her head onto the table while her caster continued her research.

_**Solivar…** _

"Jeez, I'm so full I can barely walk," Zeke said as he, Happy, and Juvia were walking towards the Titan Nose guild hall. They had just finished a lengthy dinner with Juvia's parents and figured that they still had time to visit the Guildhall before the night was over. "Does your mom always make that much food?"

Juvia nodded before answering. "She says that leftovers often taste better than the original dish. So she always goes a bit overboard with the serving sizes."

"I'll say," Happy replied with a sweatdrop, remembering how the pot of noodles was twice as big as him. Soon enough, the three reached the Titan Nose guildhall. And now that they were closer to it, Zeke could see a sign on the door that read 'Game Night.'

'Huh. I wonder how it looks on the inside,' the archer thought to himself, remembering some the other guildhalls he had seen in his lifetime. In particular, he remembered how the Blue Pegasus guildhall seemed more like a high-end club.

And so, the three entered the dark purple building. And immediately, they were greeted by a crowd gathered around a stage near the back. Above the stage were two balconies, Seward standing on one end while a green-haired woman he didn't recognize was on the other one. Upon moving in closer through the crowd, the three saw what all the commotion was about.

The stage in front of them contained hundreds of small soldiers made out of magical light. Knights, Cavaliers, Wyvern Riders, Archers, Siege Towers, and Castles. This was a game played by wizards of the highest intellect.

"So that's what they meant by game night," Zeke said to himself.

"Oh, great. It's one of those nerd games you and the other smarty-pants play," Happy groaned, the blue feline having never been one for thinking games.

"Aether War isn't a nerd game!" The brunette shouted back. "It's a true test of cunning and intellect that can only be mastered by the brightest minds."

"That's I said; it's a nerd game," the blue cat replied. In anger, Zeke began to pull at Happy's cheeks while Juvia watched the game unfold along with the crowd. She had actually been a casual Aether War player in the past. Even though she had never managed to beat Totomaru once, she still remembered enjoying it. And she was still knowledgeable enough about it to know that this particular match was in its last stretch.

"I'm afraid you've spread yourself too thin, Emser," Seward said, his glasses gleaming as his singular large force continued to slaughter his opponents separated legions. "In your attempt to outmaneuver my forces, you left your individual regimes at a numerical disadvantage."

And as Seward began his final move, Zeke recognized this kind of strategy.

"Your loss comes from…" Seward began.

"Defeat in Detail." The two strategists proclaimed just his opponent's final regime was crushed by a long-range artillery barrage, winning him the match.

"Alright, pay up, losers!" The three visitors turned and saw Hidalgo sitting in front of a betting board, the guild members who bet against Seward placing their wagered jewels into a bucket. Seeing the green haired man, Zeke began to approach him, Happy and Juvia not far behind him.

"There's the wizard I wanted to see!" The archer exclaimed, getting the Shine Wizard's attention.

"Well, if it isn't Zeke," Hidalgo said with a smile before getting up and shaking hands. "Good to see you again."

Then without warning, the green-haired man placed his hand on Zeke's chin with a rather…odd look in his eyes, much to Happy's confusion and Juvia's shock.

"And may I say, you're looking quite handsome tonight," The Shine Wizard said with his best 'charmer' voice. For a moment, Zeke was taken aback in shock, but he remembered Hidalgo's declaration of his shared affection for both sexes the last time they'd met.

"I'm flattered, man. But I'm already seeing someone."

Hearing this, Hidalgo sighed and shrugged. "That figures. So far my luck with men is the same as my luck with women; zip, nada, zilch."

"Sorry to hear that," Zeke said before he remembered who he was with, one of whom was boiling a bit. "You remember Happy. And this is Juvia, my-"

"I'm his girlfriend!" Juvia exclaimed while glaring at Hidalgo, wrapping her arms around Zeke and pouting at the flamboyant wizard.

"Woah, sorry about that!" Hidalgo quickly apologized with a bow. "If I'd known he was taken, I wouldn't have turned on the charm."

"Really?" Happy said with a raised eyebrow.

"Hey, give me some credit. Hidalgo Zeppeli doesn't mess around with anyone whose spoken for," the Shine Wizard said before looking around. "Hey, I don't see any of your friends." Hidalgo pouted. "I wanted to give pinky a piece of my mind over what happened in the jewelry store."

Zeke gave a nervous chuckle. "Well, this ain't a team trip," he replied before getting serious. "I came here because I need your help with something."

Hidalgo raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

_**The Rendons' Cabin…** _

" _Empress Armor!"_

In a flash of purple light, Alyssa summoned her purple gauntlets and boots as Balam and Corona watched.

"Wow! How wonderful, darling," Corona exclaimed while Balam got up from his recliner and pulled out a monocle from his pocket. He then began to examine the armor while mumbling in a language Alyssa didn't recognize.

"Is…is he okay?" The orange-haired amazon asked.

"Oh, he just gets like that he's interested in something," the older woman stated as her husband tapped one of the boots to test its durability.

"Well, these things are definitely  _part_ of a Soul Armor set," Balam stated as he stood.

"So what? Do I need more mana to summon the rest?" Alyssa asked while her new teacher began to ponder about it. He then started to yawn.

"I need to sleep on it," Balam said as he started heading to his bedroom.

"Seriously?" Alyssa asked with a sweatdrop.

"Oui, don't give me any backtalk! I'm old. I need my rest." Balam replied. "But if you want, we can start training early manana."

"Man-whata?"

"It means tomorrow," Balam grumbled, Corona following after him before turning to Alyssa.

"You can have the guest room to yourself, sweetie. Goodnight."

"Alright," Alyssa replied with a sigh. "Goodnight, Mrs. Rendon."

And so, the orange haired wizard took her bags and walked towards the only other bedroom in the house. It was a pretty plain room with grey sheets on the bed with a matching blanket. After changing into her sleeping clothes, Alyssa laid herself on the bed. With her hands behind her head, the orange-haired woman thought about where she was.

While she knew she should feel a bit more secure under the tutelage of a master, Alyssa still felt a bit of uncertainty. But for what, she wasn't certain. So without a clear answer, Alyssa began to drift to sleep. Hoping that at least this night, she could avoid the nightmares that had been plaguing her since she left Magnolia.

_**The Tower of Heaven…** _

"Thank you so much for meeting with us, Lord Silas. Words cannot convey how incredible it has been to be in your presence," Rasim said as Noah pushed him down the hall. Next to him walked Jellal, Silas, and Ouroboros.

" **It was no trouble at all, Architect,"**  Silas said. " **Your work is truly brilliant."**

Ouroboros rolled her eyes as Rasim and his great-grandson rambled on and on, gushing over Silas and their  _Supreme Master_ , Zeref.

They stopped when they came to a T-junction in the hallway, one path going left and the other going right. " **Sadly, it appears this is where we part ways,"**  Silas said. " **Please, have a good evening."**

"Oh thank you, Great Silas, Demonic Lord of Shadows," Noah exclaimed, his voice dripping with reverence. "Allow me to say that I wish you a joyous evening yourself."

As they parted ways, Jellal turned around and waved.

Once they were out of sight, Silas scowled. " **Those insignificant pieces of shit! They dare call themselves worshippers of my father?! They do nothing but propagate these atrocious lies and slander."** Silas was practically growling as he spoke, his face twisting in unnatural ways as his eye glowed a fiery orange.

"Well, can you really blame them?" Ouroboros said with a faraway look in her eyes. "It's not just that these idiots know nothing of Zeref. The Royal Family has done a pretty good job of destroying any accurate records of what really happened during the war, and they've been spinning this yarn of 'The Dark Wizard Zeref' at Fiore's citizens for centuries." Her eyes hardened as she spoke, dark emotions creeping into her mind.

She crossed her arms and scowled while gritting her teeth. "History is written by the victors; always had been, always will."

At those words, a dark smile found its way onto Silas's face. " **Yes, and once these morons bring my father back to us, we will write a new history; no, we will rewrite all of Earthland."**

Ouroboros couldn't help but smile at Silas's proclamation. 'Rewrite the world; I like it.'

_To be continued…_


	22. Hang-Ups

_Chapter 22: Hang-Ups_

_**The Tower of Heaven...** _

As he had done for the last few days, Silas was examining the 'control' room of the tower. The shadow etherious had looked over every single key detail and component time and time again. From anyone else's point-of-view, the architecture seemed to be top-of-line even if it was a tad unorthodox. However, Silas was not anyone.

"Is something wrong?" Jellal asked, approaching the demon as he continued to observe the large etherion crystal in the center of the room.

" **I can't quite put my finger on it, but something about how your cult put the tower together seems…off."**

"That is understandable," the blue-haired man replied. "Lord Rasim's grandfather, Sakhr, began construction of this second tower based on only folk stories and speculations of the original. It's miracle we even able to get this far. But why are you concerned? In your own words, this is a near-perfect replica of the original."

" **Yes, near-perfect. Emphasis on the 'near,'"** Silas said. " **This isn't any ordinary magical object or artifact. The Tower of Heaven, if it's built properly, would give us unlimited access to and control over the very building blocks of reality."**

Jellal, ever the quick one, caught onto what the Shadowman was saying. "And if it's built improperly?"

" **Well, this is just speculation, but if we tried to activate it now…then there probably wouldn't be a world for my father to come back to."**

"Noted. So have you figured out what we might've done wrong?"

" **No, unfortunately,"** the gray-haired demon replied as he scratched his head, an uneasy frown on his face. " **Honestly, all this machinery, architecture, and inner mana workings have never been my forte."** Suddenly, he was hit with a realization. " **But…"**

With a snap of his fingers, Silas opened a Shadow Portal and began to walk towards it. " **...I know someone who's forte this is."**

"And who would be that be?" Jellal asked.

" **The architect of the first tower,"** the gray-haired demon replied before stepping through his portal.

'Alright, you take care of that,' the blue-haired man thought to himself. 'I have business to attend to.'

_**The Southern Sea Forest…** _

" _Empress Knuckle!"_ Alyssa shouted as she attempted to punch a fully-armored Balam. The older man leaped out of the way as his new student's fist smashed the rock behind him.

The two had begun a training exercise that morning. Balam had forbidden Alyssa from using her Speed Queen magic in order for him to get a proper evaluation of her Soul Armor and its abilities.

Now, Alyssa was no stranger to fighting without superspeed, a few of her past missions forced her to fight without magic. But one thing she hated was feeling slow. This feeling was made even worse as she was forced watch as Balam leaped and ran around her with the speed and agility of a much younger man.

" _Is that all ya got, Senorita?"_ Balam asked as he raised his fists up.

"Not even close!" Alyssa replied with a smirk as she channeled her magic into her right boot. "Take this!  _Empress Kick!"_

The boot's jets ignited, giving Alyssa the momentum lead into a devastating spin kick.

Balam commanded Pantera Blanca's tail to strike the ground and sent him flying over and behind Alyssa.

"What?!" The orange-haired girl yelled as Balam smirked under his helmet.

" _Brave Tailspin!"_

Magical energy started to gather around Balam's tail before his body began to spin. Faster than Alyssa could react (without using her Speed Queen Magic), the metal tail slammed into her back and sent her tumbling forward.

" _You'll have to do better than that if you want to land a hit on Balam Le Magnifico!"_ Balam asked as he landed on his feet. It was then that Alyssa decided to play dirty, grabbing a large chunk of dirt and throwing it at Balam's face.

'There's my opening!' Alyssa thought as she ran around and charged at Balam, once more channeling her magic into her right gauntlet.

" _Empress Knuckle!"_

And with that chant, the orange-haired amazon threw her armored fist at her opponent. But just as it seemed like Alyssa was about to hit the older wizard, Balam quickly deflected her blow, causing gauntlet's magical energy to harmlessly burst past him. And he wasn't done there as he channeled magical energy into his right gauntlet.

" _Brave Palm Strike!"_

In quick succession, Balam delivered three palm strikes that knocked the wind out of Alyssa. One strike to her forehead, then the center of her chest, and then her abs. The combined effect of the blows caused her to gasp before falling on her back.

" _Really? The old 'dirt-in-the-eyes' trick? People still do that?"_ Balam asked as Alyssa sat up, catching her breath. And as she did so, her master looked at her with an analytical eye. " _Did you get enough sleep last night?"_

Hearing this made Alyssa raise an eyebrow. "Where did that come from?"

" _A few things. For one, most of your attacks were incredibly sluggish. And second, you've clearly got bags under your eyes."_

The orange-haired girl quickly got back up. "I'm fine. Just not used to fighting without going full speed."

"… _If you say so,"_ Balam stated as the two began their fight anew.

_**Magnolia…** _

"ARRRRRGGGGHHHH! COME ON!" Natsu shouted as a heavy coat of sweat rolled down his skin. Once again, the salmon-haired wizard was attempting to casually summon his Beast Aura. And just like his other attempts, they were met with failure. Suffice to say, Natsu was pretty ticked off as Jú Liú watched from the sides, sipping her tea as she did. As her student continued to scream his head off, Jú sighed in annoyance.

"Are you trying to summon your aura or empty your bowels?" The older Beast Aura wizard asked. "'Cause from where I'm sitting, it looks like you're trying to do both."

After a few more minutes of trying and failing, Natsu fell to the ground, panting like a dog. "D-Damnit! What the hell am I doing wrong?!"

Jú sat on it for a moment before speaking up. "Listen up, ya hooligan. We're going to try meditating again."

"Seriously? After what happened last time?" The salmon-haired student asked, already feeling queasy.

"Just humor me," the old woman stated, tapping the spot right next to her. Natsu took a seat next to her and the two got into their meditative positions.

"Now close your eyes and calm your breathing."

The two did just that, closing their eyes and breathing softly.

"You're not gonna hit again, are ya?"

"Don't worry. This isn't about staying still," Jú explained, slightly amused by her student's question. "Instead, I want you to look deep within and ask yourself one question; why does your magic exist?"

Natsu raised an eyebrow at this but decided to go along with it. And with some more calmed breathing, he asked himself that question.

" _Why does my magic exist?" he repeated that question over and over again like a mantra until it felt as natural as breathing._

_In his relaxed state, Natsu's mind began to drift through his memories. From his most recent battles, his engagement, meeting his new teammates, and the day his team was formed, all the way back to his childhood with Igneel._

_But his mind continued to drift back to before he met Igneel. When he still lived with his family…and when he still had Katagiri as his last name. He recalled memories locked away within his subconscious mind for almost twenty years._

_Memories of his sister…_

" _You really are a little dummy, aren't ya?" Hoshi said before sticking her tongue out._

" _AM NOT!" Natsu shouted before doing the same._

… _his father…_

" _WOW!" Daisuke shouted as he measured Natsu's height on the wall. "You're getting bigger every day!"_

" _Yup!" Natsu said with a smug expression. "Maybe someday, I'll be even taller than you, Dad!"_

_The auburn-haired man chuckled at his son's enthusiasm before ruffling up his hair. "I don't doubt that for even a minute, kiddo."_

… _and of his…mother._

" _It's alright, sweetie," Fuyu said as she cradled a scared Natsu in her arms. "It's just a little bit of thunder. It can't hurt you."_

" _...you promise?" The boy asked with a sniff._

" _I promise."_

_But then everything went wrong. He remembered the night his house was broken into by the stranger with shapeshifting magic. How he first activated some fire magic out of fear. And how…how his mother attempted to kill him for that, her sanity shattered. How in her crazed state, she ended killing his father. He remembered Hoshi telling him to run as their house burned down, leaving him all alone in the woods._

"Burning…" Jú heard her student whisper. She turned and saw Natsu shaking, his eyes still closed. However, tears were beginning to stream down his face. "...everything is burning."

And hearing this brought down Jú's spirits. The state of her student brought to her mind one of the harshest truths of the world. While the awakening of a young one's magic should be a cause for celebration, in the wrong conditions, it could lead to disaster. And it seemed that Natsu's awakening was one such case.

_Natsu's memories moved forward to his days with Igneel. Specifically, he remembered one of his first attempts to use his Fire Dragon's Roar._

" _Hey, Dad! Watch this! FIRE DRAGON'S ROAR!" Natsu shouted, aiming for the mountain in the distance. But all that came out of his mouth was a small fireball. "What do ya think?"_

" _ **You call that a roar?"**_ _Igneel asked._ " _ **You couldn't even cook a fish with that."**_

" _Then let's see you do it!"_

"… _ **Alright then."**_ _The Fire Dragon replied as he got on all fours, much to Natsu's surprise. And after sucking in a large gulp of air, Igneel was ready to cast his spell._ " _ **FIRE DRAGON'S ROAR!"**_

_A colossal stream of fire blasted out of the red dragon's maw and towards the top of a nearby mountain. And when the two collided, the top was obliterated in a mile-wide explosion._

" _I thought you said we weren't supposed to wreck the mountains," Natsu said, causing Igneel to chuckle._

" _ **Sometimes it's okay to go a little overboard."**_

" _Now it's my turn! Will you teach me how to do that too?"_

" _ **You already know. The key is to always keep a fire in your belly."**_

" _That's easy!"_

_As he progressed further into his memories, he recalled the time he spent explaining his Dragon-Slayer Magic to Zeke, using it to help Alyssa defeat their first giant monster, and to amuse Happy when he was just a kitten._

_All his most recent battles came to mind. Erigor. Lullaby. Gajeel. The Crusaders. Fuyu. Laxus. Kurohebi. Yaza._

_He remembered the rage he felt when Laxus threatened to destroy Magnolia…and what truly brought about that rage._

" _I WON'T LOSE ANOTHER FAMILY!"_

_Family. That word seemed to reverberate within his subconscious. That word brought back memories of Daisuke, Fuyu before the incident, Hoshi in both the past & present, Igneel, Happy, Alyssa, Zeke, Lucy, Alexander and pretty much everyone in Fairy Tail. He saw all of them right before him, filling him with a comforting warmth._

_That warmth began to take shape. First as an orange flame. The orange flame than turned azure. And finally, the azure flames turned crimson and took the form of a dragon, letting out a proud roar._

_And at that moment, he had his answer._

In reality, the Dragon Slayer's face finally relaxed as crimson energy began to dance around him. The energy expanded and began taking shape right before Jú's eyes. Soon enough, a red dragon-shaped aura had enveloped Natsu completely.

"So, do you have your answer?" Jú asked.

In response, Natsu stood up a smile. "Ya. My magic exists…to protect my family."

And hearing that brought a smile of her own to Jú's face as she summoned her own Rhino aura.

"Good answer, Natsu."

_**Meanwhile…** _

Alexander sat at the Fairy Tail guild hall bar and having a rather…heated argument with Mira.

"Just one bottle," Alexander practically pleaded.

"No," Mira said firmly.

"Just one drink."

"No."

"Fuck it, I'll take a shot glass!"

Mira just sighed at this. "Look, sweetie, I can't sell you any more booze."

"Is it because of what happened at brunch?" The one-eyed wizard asked. "I already apologized for spilling the hollandaise."

"It's not about that." the Take-Over wizard replied. "It's just…I've noticed that you've been drinking a lot recently."

"So what?" Alexander asked. "I'm pretty sure Cana's insides smell like a brewery but that doesn't stop you from giving her an entire barrel."

"Yes, but that's normal for Cana, and she's got the alcohol tolerance of ten men five times her size. You only started drinking like this a few weeks ago," Mira stated before placing her hand on Alex's. "I' worried, Alex. If there's something you need to talk about-"

"Look it's nothing!" The blue-haired man suddenly shouted as he quickly retracted his hand. "Guess I'll just go somewhere else." Before his girlfriend could say anything, Alexander stomped out of out of the guild hall, cursing the world with every step.

Mira watched as her boyfriend walked out of sight, wanting nothing more than to run after him. 'If I could just get him to sit down and talk, maybe I could figure out what's wrong.' She sighed. 'But he won't listen to anyone like this.' She tore her eyes away from the doors and started scrubbing the counter, a faraway look in her eyes.

Unbeknownst to Mira, a group of Star Crusaders had observed the entire exchange and their captain's exit as they sat at a nearby table playing poker.

"How long has it been since the captain's been like that?" A female crusader asked her crewmates.

"I think about…four years ago. Did we ever figure out what that was about?"

Marianne sighed as she recalled that day. They had docked at Hargeon to resupply, and part of that supply was fresh booze. That night, when she went to count the stock, she found her captain already going through an entire case of vodka. According to him, that day would've been Wendy's tenth birthday and he was not handling it well.

But after a week of binge drinking, Alex was back to his usual slightly laidback self. But this time, it seemed like whatever was bothering him was hitting him really hard, and Marianne wasn't sure how long it would take her captain would stay on this particular binger. And that's even if he would get off it.

In yet another part of Fairy Tail, Hoshi was playing pool with Natalie and drinking some beer. Or at least she was trying too. At the other end of the gaming area was Orochi playing darts while the behatted wizard glared at her. And as Hoshi was doing this, Natalie looked between the two and sighed.

"Okay, you really need to deal with whatever this is," the green-haired woman said as she pointed between the two women. "Seriously, what's the deal the between you too? Old schoolmates?"

"Nope," Hoshi replied as she lined up her next shot.

"Penpals?"

"Nope?"

"Bitter Exes?"

"You're confusing me for you, 'cause I'm not into girls."

Natalie went bug-eyed. "Whaaaaat?"

"Don't lie to me," the auburn-haired girl as she took the shot. "I've seen the way you've been looking at Evergreen."

"Oh. Um…" Natalie said with a blush. "T-That's not…I mean she's really pretty and-WAIT! Don't change the subject."

"I can't change the subject because there is no subject. Your turn." Hoshi stated, making her friend sigh.

"Look, you can keep up this 'nothing's wrong' attitude and be miserable for the next month or however long that Orochi chick sticks around for, or you can be an adult and talk things out with her, whatever they are."

Hearing this, Hoshi gave her own sigh and took a swig. "You're right. Guess I'll go and…talk to her."

"Atta girl," Natalie replied as the auburn-haired walked towards Orochi, the black-haired woman seemingly unaware of this. At first, Hoshi tried to remain calm and control herself. But with each step, it felt like something was boiling inside her. More and more, she started seeing red (or was it pink?) in brief flashes as she walked closer to Orochi.

Eventually, as Hoshi approached the Markless woman from behind, she raised the beer bottle and threw it as hard as she could. However, Orochi suddenly jumped away to dodge, causing Hoshi's beer to fly across the room to smash into the dart board, sending glass and liquid flying. And the sudden shattering sound was enough to get everyone's attention.

"Um…can I help you?" Orochi asked in a monotone voice, unperturbed by Hoshi's unprovoked attack.

Her rage burning like an inferno, Hoshi wordlessly requiped her Firebolt Staff. "Ya…YOU CAN FUCK OFF TO HELL!"

In an instant, Hoshi aimed her Firebolt Staff at Orochi and unleashed a massive fireball spell, blasting Orochi through the back wall and out of the building.

"Hoshi! What the fuck?!" Natalie shouted as everyone else looked on in shock. But the enraged staff Wizard ignored this and simply walked through the hole she'd created. As she approached the spot where Orochi landed, the smoke cleared and showed that the black-haired woman was surrounded by a dome of purple paper.

"Now that was just rude," Orochi asked as she dismissed some of the slightly burned paper to look at her attacker. "Do I know you?"

Hearing this just made Hoshi scowl even harder. "Two years ago. The Henson Job. You attacked an escort convoy and almost killed the Markless hired to protect it."

The black-eyed woman thought about it for a moment. "Ah, yes." She then realized why this stranger attacked her before sighing. "Thinking back to that day I go recall a rather spunky Wizard with great hair on lookout duty; I assume that was you?"

"You're damn right!" Hoshi shouted, twirling her staff and aiming it at Orochi. "My name is Hoshi Katagiri! And I'm gonna blast your pale ass back to whatever backwoods shithole you crawled out of!"

Hearing this, Orochi just sighed again. "Beauty such as yours is wasted on a vulgar and violent temperament. I do not wish to fight you but you leave me no choice; attack me with everything you have!"

"Oh I plan on it paper bitch!" the auburn-haired Wizard screamed with a twisted snarl on her face.

" _Firebolt!"_ Hoshi shouted, unleashing another barrage of fiery projectiles, only for Orochi block them once more with her dome of floating paper. In response, the black-eyed woman held her hand out, conjuring a black magic circle.

" _Origami: Razor Flock."_

In response to the chant, several of the floating papers quickly folded into birds and flew towards Hoshi, who launched into a side-sprint to evade. A few of the observing members of Fairy Tail noticed that whenever the Razor Flock hit something like the pavement or a wall, they cut through it like butter. But as Hoshi ran and evaded the enchanted paper, she decided to switch up her strategy.

" _Requip: Frost!"_ The behatted woman switched out staves and quickly turned and aimed the blue staff at the approaching flock. " _Frostbolt!"_

A blue ball of frost magic consumed the Razor Flock, freezing them over and shattering them as they fell onto the street. Hoshi then dismissed the Frost Staff and conjured up five pink magic circles in front of her.

" _Requip: Ophthalmoception, Audioception, Gustaoception, Olfacception and Tactioception!"_

'Oh, fuck,' Evergreen thought, remembering how this particular spell beat her during the failed coup d'etat.

But as the five staffs manifested, Orochi narrowed her eyes and held out a singular finger, a black magic circle appearing before it.

" _Origami: Buzzsaw."_

With a single hand gesture, a spinning piece of razor paper flew in an arc, slicing through each staff so that they were separated from their Ethereal Orbs, rendering them useless.

"Shit!" Hoshi shouted before deciding to bring out her other big gun, so to speak. " _Requip: Leviathan!"_

With a quick motion, the behatted woman summoned her strongest staff and cast the powerful spell. The sea creature effigy launched ahead towards Orochi, but as the black-eyed woman had a counterspell ready.

" _Origami: Drill."_

Orochi conjured up a massive series of papers that combined into the shape of a massive spinning drill. The paper drill and the leviathan effigy collided, sparks and opposing mana flying all over the place, causing the observing members of Fairy Tail and any nearby civilians to seek cover.

"Is she trying to destroy everything around them?!" Freed shouted.

As the two spells continued to collide, the two women started to feel the stress of the battle. They both began to sweat, however, Hoshi's rate was more profuse. And once more, she swore she saw pink again before it quickly faded. But she refused to give in until the Leviathan Orb shattered, ending the spell. She was then forced to evade the origami drill. With both of her ace spells now out of the picture, Hoshi was getting desperate and decided to get reckless (even more so than she already was.)

" _Requip: Gravity!"_

Hoshi summoned her new staff and aimed it at the Origami Drill.

" _Gravity Multiply!"_

A pink magic circle appeared in front of the drill. Suddenly, the mass of paper was smashed down into the street. And while the onlookers were impressed by this, Orochi just sighed.

"I admire your tenacity but I grow weary of this pointless conflict," The black-haired woman stated as she held her palm out, more and more paper flowing from secret compartments in her clothing. " _Origami: Wolf Pack."_

The papers combined and folded into three life-size paper wolves, surprising Hoshi. This was a bit of a problem for her as so far, she could only use her Gravity Staff on one target at a time. But that's when some inspiration came to her and she aimed the staff at herself.

" _Gravity Negate!"_

A pink aura then surrounded Hoshi and she leaped into the air, evading the origami wolves before they had a chance to attack her. The behatted woman then decided to improvise and use a nearby building as a kickstand, launching herself towards one of the wolves and stabbing it with the bottom of her staff, causing it to burst into papers.

But as Hoshi was using this new bit of improvisation to fight the origami wolves, Orochi began to plan her final spell. While everyone was watching Hoshi, Orochi cast her magic on the fallen paper from the earlier constructs and began to slightly elevate them. And as Hoshi took apart the last wolf, the markless woman cast her final spell.

" _Origami: Cyclone."_

Before Hoshi could react, every single piece of paper from throughout the battle flew up and sharpened. They then began to circle around the behatted woman, rapidly coming closer and closer until they consumed her like a swarm of piranhas. After an unsettling scream, the paper cyclone slammed Hoshi into a nearby building.

The enchanted paper then withdrew, showing Hoshi covered in cuts and bleeding profusely. With a final gasp, the auburn-haired woman fell the ground, blood flowing freely from her wounds.

'Fuck,' she thought to herself as she hit the ground.

"Well, this was…interesting," Orochi said before wiping some dust from her hair. "All in all, you weren't terrible, you even managed to make me break a sweat. I suppose we'll see each other later, but right now I need a nice hot bath."

The black-haired woman started to walk away. However, even though it pained her to move, Hoshi got back up, her face contorted in anger.

"Hold up!" The auburn-haired woman shouted, getting her foe's attention.

"Excuse me, Miss Katagiri, I've been kind enough to try and avoid causing you any kind of dismemberment or permanent damage," Orochi replied, sounding more frustrating than anything. "But I cannot guarantee that if you attack me again."

Hoshi then held up her pointer finger. "One month."

"Hmm?"

"You and me; rematch in one month. By then, I'll be able to blast you past Mt. Hakobe."

Orochi contemplated this for a second before sighing. "Very well. We shall fight again in one month's time."

And with that, the Origami Wizard turned around and walked away, leaving her injured foe to wallow in her own anger and embarrassment.

_**The Titan Nose Guild…** _

Underneath the main hall of the Titan Nose guildhall was a massive training area. Said area made the appearance of a desert, providing plenty of open space for the guild members to train with their magic. Currently, the lone occupants were Zeke and Hidalgo, the later of which was marking a piece of the ground with a ten feet marker.

"Alright, let's try for ten feet this time." The green-haired man said as he held a stopwatch.

"Got it." The brunette replied before channeling his mana. " _Stand Tall, Emerald Aegis!"_

As soon as Zeke said his chant, Hidalgo clicked the stopwatch. Streams of green energy quickly swirled from Arch Shot/Fighting Spirit Wizard. Once it reached the ten-foot marker, the streams combined into the living castle known as Emerald Aegis. Upon which, Hidalgo stopped the clock.

"28.3 seconds. Pretty good for a beginner."

"Thanks," Zeke said as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. Ever since the previous night, Hidalgo had agreed to teach Zeke the basics of Fighting Spirit Magic…on one condition that he would explain later. So far, Hidalgo had shown Zeke some key traits of Fighting Spirit Magic.

First, that any sensation and injury inflicted on a Fighting Spirit would also be felt by the caster. This was proven when Hidalgo had Claudia hit Emerald Aegis in the chest with her hammer, knocking the wind out of Zeke for almost half-an-hour.

Second, a caster can see and speak through their Fighting Spirit. While this ability seemed mundane, Zeke was already thinking of ways that could be applied in the field.

The third basic Hidalgo was teaching Zeke was Distance Manifestation. According to the flamboyant Titan Nose wizard, each Spirit had a limit of how far they could manifest. And the longer the distance, the slower the manifestation would take.

"Gotta say, Ezekiel, you hit the jackpot with Aegis," Hidalgo said as he tapped on the spirit's shoulder.

"What makes ya say that?"

"Well, just look at it. It's got ridiculous strength, decent ability casting, and incredible durability. Aside from physically being as slow as...well, a walking castle, it's pretty good for an Emergence Stage Spirit."

Hearing this intrigued Zeke. "Emergence Stage?"

Hidalgo nodded as summoned Golden Boy. "Every Fighting Spirit has three forms, called Stages. The Emergence Stage is created based on the emotions the caster felt when first manifested it. And based on Aegis' appearance and abilities, you must've been in some real deep shit you first summoned him."

"Well, my guild was going through a coup d'etat and I was being driven insane by some rune magic," Zeke said as bluntly as one would talk about what they had for dinner the previous night.

"…anyway," Hidalgo continued on. "The second is the Awakened Stage; it's a Fighting Spirit that's been transformed through a Wizard's self-reflection and realization of a greater truth about them. Finally, there's the Realized Stage, that's what happens when you've managed to fully connect with your inner-self."

"So what stage is Golden Boy?" The brunette asked.

"He's an Awakened Stage Spirit, and a damn good looking one at that," Hidalgo said.

"What did he look like before?"

"Hold on, I've got a picture." Hidalgo reached into pants and pulled out his wallet, and out of that, he pulled out a folded photo which he handed to Zeke.

The photo was of a child dressed in dark conservative clothes and a large hat that completely obscured their hair. They had a dour expression their face and cold eyes. Next to them was what looked a child-sized humanoid figure made of dark grey metal.

"Uh, what am I looking at?" Zeke asked.

"Are you blind or something, that's me!" Hidalgo shouted.

Zeke's eyes widened in shock as he looked between the child in the photo and the man in front of him. The brunette tried to speak but no words came out, leaving his mouth agape.

"Tch, and I thought you were supposed to be the smart one," Hidalgo said, ignoring Zeke's state of shock. "Anyway, that was taken the day I awakened my Fighting Spirit."

"Wait, seriously, that dull looking thing is Golden Boy?"

"Yeah, but back then he was called Iron Boy. When a Fighting Spirit changes stages they get a makeover, new abilities, and a new name." A scowl appeared on Hidalgo's face. "And he wasn't dull! My Spirit's always been beautiful!"

As the two continued their lesson, Happy and Jack were having lunch on the roof of the building. The blue cat had just finished explaining his recent outbursts to his yellow companion.

"That seems about right," Jack replied before taking a bite out of his sandwich. "For the first times, your baser instincts are gonna go crazy. All you gotta do is get acclimated to having all that bouncing around in your head."

"Huh," Happy said as he thought about. "Is that it?"

"That's it. I mean I can share some instinct management exercises if you want."

"Thanks." The blue cat said as he looked into the distance, something that Jack noticed.

"You alright?"

Happy said nothing for a bit before signing. "Jack, have you ever felt like a third wheel?"

"No. Why?"

"All my life, it's been me, Natsu and Alyssa. Just the three of us as one big family." The blue cat said, thinking back to his life with the two. But that smile soon faded. "But now they're getting married. And soon they'll have babies and be a...real family."

"Happy…" Jack began to say before the blue cat went on.

"I mean, I always knew this would happen. And I figured that at least I'll still be able to hang out with Zeke and Lucy. But now, Zeke and Juvia are getting really close. And Lucy llllliiiiiikes Freed. So…where does that leave me?"

Jack said nothing as he thought about his response. "Maybe…just you."

"Hmm." Happy thought as the two cats looked up at the clouds.

_**Somewhere…** _

Within a secluded cavern, there laid hundreds of weapons and armor. Each piece of metal seemed to have been crafted to perfection, decorating the cave walls with their majesty. And in the center of this cave was a pool of lava with various anvils, forges, and other tools used by the master blacksmith that dwelled within the cave.

Speaking of said blacksmith, she was peculiar being indeed. Although she had the curvature of a woman, her skin was not made of flesh, but molten rock. Her eyes were twin pools of lava, and her hair was a long stream of magma. Using her molten body, the lava woman superheated the steel of the blade she was currently crafting before placing it on an anvil. She then began the process of shaping the blade with precision and skill forged from centuries of perfecting her craft.

But suddenly, a shadowy portal appeared before the pool of lava, and the Shadowman stepped out.

" **Ivaldi, how you've been?"**

The lava woman looked up and smiled at the pale-skinned being. " **Silas? Well, as I live and burn."**

The molten etherious woman stepped out from the lava pool and shook Silas' hand (which would normally melt a regular human's arm off).

" **So have you finally come back for yer gear?"** Ivaldi asked, pointing to the center of the right wall. In the center was a set of black armor. While its coloring was ominous, it did seem to possess as somewhat noble appearance. However, when Silas looked upon it, all he felt was regret and shame.

" **I already told you that you can melt it for scrap."** The silver-haired man stated. " **But I didn't come here to talk about old armor…"**

" **Old?! I'll have ya know that I've been updating and modifying your suit and arsenal for the last 200 centuries! I even made a blunderbuss you can channel your shadow magic through!"**

" **Really? Huh, that's…no, getting off track."** Silas stated. " **Look, I need your help on a bit of a…special project."**

" **What kind of special project?"** Ivaldi asked with a raised eyebrow.

" **Well...there's a new Tower of Heaven and I really think you should take a look at it. You know, make sure every component's where it should be."**

" **Wait, wait, wait,** _ **you**_ **built a second tower?"**

" **No, not me perse, but some…associates did."**

" **Associates?"**

" **You see they're…uh, well what I'm trying to say is…"** The silver-haired man began to stumble. " **Okay, there's no easy way to sugarcoat this; this new tower has been built by an insane cult that worships Father as a great evil that will bring them salvation or ultimate freedom or some other vague bullshit upon his resurrection."**

"… **dammit, Silas."** The lava woman groaned before walking back into the lava pool.

" **Look, just hear me out…"**

" **You port into my workshop, tell me a bunch of fucking cultists not only made a copy of one of my greatest works but that they're also planning to resurrect Father for some evil nonsense. These kinds of cultist wankers have been dragging his good name into the dirt for centuries! Why the flamin' fuck would I help them?! And why are you helping them?! You hate Zeref cults more than any of us! Hell, I've seen you slaughter a few of them!"**

" **Because they might just be able to actually pull it off!"** Silas admitted, giving his sister pause. " **Look, they have nearly all the materials for a proper resurrection spell. The mana source, a selected host of the right age, and two Etherion Cores to act as the catalysts. All we need now is to make sure these idiots didn't fuck up the vital components. And that's where you come in."**

Ivaldi's eyes widened in response. " **Who's acting as the catalysts?"**

"… **Deliora and Oculus."**

"… **I see."**

Though the two would never say it out loud, they were both in silent agreement that if any of their siblings needed to act as the catalysts, it was those two. Deliora had been driven to violent insanity…even more so than Silas. And Oculus' mind was nearly gone, only able to process a hatred for Fiorans. In their eyes, using these two as the catalyst would be putting them out of their misery.

But even still, Ivaldi turned her back to her brother, going back to her work.

" **So, will you help me?"** The silver-haired demon asked.

Ivaldi just sighed. " **Have 200 centuries really fogged your memory that much? Did you forget how much we lost with the first tower? Why I've been forced to hide in my workshop and you've become a flesh-eater? Why the flamin' hell would I ever want to go through any of that again?!"**

" **BECAUSE HE DESERVES BETTER!"** Silas shouted, causing Ivaldi to real back. What she saw something she had only seen a few times in her long life; her older brother with his hands shaking, and his black eyes on the verge of tearing up. " **Father deserves to be revered as the great man he was, not some demonic overlord that those damn humans have conjured up."**

For a second, he paused to catch his breath before continuing. " **You saw how miserable he was in his final days. You saw how much the war took from him. So don't you think he deserves a second chance?"**

And in the ultimate show of humility, Silas dismissed his hat and cane before getting on his knees. He then placed both his hands and forehead on the cavern floor, undeterred by the heat.

" **Please, Ivaldi. Please help me."**

To say the lava etherious was stunned at this display was an understatement. In the two millennia that she had known her brother, she had never seen him beg. Hell, there was only one other time he had ever been this emotionally vulnerable. The same day when he discarded his armor, his title, and most of his sanity.

And so, Ivaldi got up from her lava pool, and placed a comforting hand on her Silas' shoulder, causing the shadow user to look up.

" **Alright, Silas,"** she said with a kind smile. " **I'm in."**

And with a true smile, the silver-haired etherious grabbed his sister's hand with gratitude and whispered, " **Thank you."**

_**The Rendon's Cabin…** _

"And this was from when the Midsummer Knights stopped that rampaging pack of gorgons," Balam said as he showed Alyssa a scrapbook of his old team's exploits.

"Ya…that's something." The orange-haired woman said unenthusiastically, still bothered by her pitiful performance during their earlier sparring session. Something which Balam caught onto but said nothing. "Listen, Mr. Rendon…"

"Honey?" Corona shouted from the bathroom.

"What is it, sunshine?"

"Can you fix the bathtub? I think it's clogged up."

"Um…" Alyssa began to say before Balam stood up.

"I'll get my toolkit."

"Mr. Rendon?" Alyssa asked, only to be ignored as he went to grab his kit from the hall closet. The orange-haired woman sighed. "Look, I really think we should focus on my Soul Armor."

"And we will. I just have to fix this real quick."

"I mean, it's been almost two days and I haven't made any progress."

"You can't expect instant progress when we've just started," Balam said as the two walked towards his bathroom. "Or is impatience another speed wizard thing?"

The two then entered the bathroom and Balam went right to work.

"I just think we could doing more to figure out what's wrong with my armor."

"Why? I already figured out the problem."

"…Really?!" The orange-haired girl asked. "When did you…"

"I figured it out hours ago. I just couldn't think of a way to describe it." The old wizard replied as he removed the drain cover. "The reason your Soul Armor hasn't fully manifested because you have a block."

"A block?" Alyssa asked.

"Up here," Balam said as he tapped his forehead.

"THERE'S SOMETHING STUCK IN MY HEAD!"

"NO!" Balam shouted. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Figuratively, not literally. There is something in your mind, some sort of repressed memories or emotions, that is blocking your Soul Armor."

Balam reached a hand down the drain, a grotesque squelching sound following right after.

"When you have a blockage, your Soul Armor will not manifest properly," the old man said as he pulled out a disgusting lump of hair, dirt, and... honestly Alyssa didn't want to know what else.

"But if you get rid of the blockage," Balam said as he tossed the clump in the trash and turned on the tap. "Your mana will flow, and your armor will manifest."

Alyssa stared in awe as the water flowed pristinely down the drain.

"So…how do I get rid of the blockage?"

"I can help you find the source," Balam said as he stood up. "But you'll need to get rid of it on your own."

_**And then…** _

Night had fallen over Magnolia as Natsu returned home after a much-deserved shower at Fairy Tail's locker room. The salmon-haired man really felt like he progressed today. However, Jú told him that casual manifesting was really just the tip of the iceberg.

"I'm back!" Natsu shouted as he entered the home…only to be met with silence. It took a second to remember he was alone. "Oh, yeah."

With a sigh, the salmon-haired man got dressed, slightly bummed at the absence of his little blue buddy. After changing into a clean set of clothes, he took a seat on his hammock and stared at the ceiling.

'It's been pretty quiet without Happy around.' Natsu thought before looked down at his hand, where his engagement was. 'I wonder what Alyssa's doing? Maybe me and Zeke will make it a guy's…oh, right.'

Once again, Natsu was only met with the deafening quiet of his cabin. 'Maybe I'll go see what Lucy's doing. Or maybe I'll chat with Hoshi.'

And so, the dragon-slayer walked into town, eventually reaching the canal near Lucy's place. But as Natsu continued down his path when he suddenly heard singing.

" _Oh, how can I marry such a pretty girl as you when I have no coat to put on?"_

Natsu turned to the source of the singing, which out to be Alexander…who floating face-up in the canal with a half-empty bottle of gin in his hand.

" _Off to the tailor she did goooo_ oh, hey Natsu! Lovely night, imma right?" The one-eyed man said with a wave, as if wasn't floating away.

"…what?"

_**The Rendon's Cabin…** _

Alyssa sat in the guestroom as Balam had asked her, staring at the clock in frustration. 'What's taking that old tom so long.' As her nervous energy built up, Alyssa began to tap her foot against the hardwood floor.

Suddenly, the door and Alyssa turned to see Balam walk in with an ornate jewelry box with a heavy lock in his hands. "Sorry I took so long, this thing was hidden under a mountain of old memorabilia and keepsake."

Balam set the box down on the nightstand and pulled out a key from his pocket. Alyssa watched as he unlocked the box and brought out a silver diadem encrusted with dark purplish-blue gemstones.

"So, what's that?" Alyssa asked.

"This is a Dream Crown," Balam said. "They're a very rare type of magical item, I got this decades ago when the Midsummer Knights and I took down a nasty Dark Guild called Pesadilla De Oro. It allows the wearer to dive into their subconscious and confront their darkest thoughts, essentially fight their inner demons."

"Really, that's perfect!" Alyssa said excitedly. "So I can dive inside my head, find the 'block' you were talking about, and unlock my Soul Armor?"

"Well, yes," Balam said apprehensively. "But the thing is-"

"Then what are we waiting for, put that thing on me." Alyssa was practically vibrating with anticipation.

Balam sighed. "It's not that simple. Using a Dream Crown can be… dangerous."

"Dangerous how?" Alyssa asked wearily. "It's not liking I'll be fighting actual monsters."

"Just because the danger exists inside your mind, doesn't make it any less real," Balam explained. "If you come face to face with your inner demons and you can't come to terms with them, then it could cause irreversible psychological damage."

Alyssa stared at Balam in shook, eyes wide an fearful.

"Furthermore, you won't be able to wake up until either you find the block and fix it, or the crown is removed by another person." The old wizard's face solemn and dark. "But if it's removed before you're finished…let's just say there's a good chance you won't want to sleep again. Ever."

She said nothing, taken aback by the old man's words.

"I'm not telling you this to scare you, I'm telling you this so you know what's at stake if you put it on." Balam sighed and put a hand on Alyssa's shoulder. "Look, this is not the only way to get past your 'block,' and no one would blame you if didn't want to put it on. I know Wizards far braver and smarter than myself who wouldn't even go near this thing. I just wanted to give you the option, but you're under no obligation to do this."

Alyssa closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Everyone else is working a hard as they can to get stronger, I have to do the same. Let's do this."

"Are you sure about this, senorita?"

"I'm sure," Alyssa replied.

"Alright," Balam said before handing her the Dream Crown. "Remember, you'll be seeing your mind, bare and naked. And whatever's causing this block…it probably won't be pleasant."

Hearing that made Alyssa think back to the nightmares she had been having.

"Then I'll face it head on."

"If you say so."

Alyssa put on the diadem and laid down on the bed. "So, how does this work?"

"You just need to fall asleep."

"Right. So how do I make myself fall asleep?"

"Not sure. I guess you just lay there until you do."

At that moment there was a knock at the door. "¿Puedo pasar?" Corona's voice came from the other side.

"Uh… sí," Balam said.

Corona walked in carrying a tray with a piping hot cup of tea and an anxious expression her face. "Ah, I see you've already started." She walked over and motioned for Balam to remove the jewelry box from the table and put the try in its place. "I knew I wouldn't be able to stop you if you wanted to do this, so I made you some tea to help you fall asleep."

"Oh, thank you, Corona," Alyssa said as she sat up. She picked up the cup of tea and blew on it before taking a sip. Minutes later she'd finished it. "Oh man, that did the trick. I feel… I feel…" Alyssa never finished what she was going to say, for laid down and shut her eyes.

Soon enough, the orange haired Wizard was softly snoring, and the gems of the Dream Crown were glowing a soft blue.

"Will she be okay?" Corona asked.

Balam crossed his arms and sighed. "That's up to her."

_**Alyssa's Mindscape…** _

_From her perspective, everything went blue and suddenly found herself falling through the sky. At first, she panicked as was about hit the ground. But as she did so, she felt no pain._

" _Woah. Freaky." She said before getting up and dusting herself off. But as she did so, the orange-haired woman noticed where she was standing. "Magnolia Park?"_

_Indeed, it seemed like she was standing in Magnolia. But she also remembered what Balam said._

" _Right; this is my mind. I need to find that block."_

_And so, Alyssa began to wander through her subconscious, unaware that something was watching her._

_To be continued…_


	23. The Long Night, Part I

_Chapter 23: The Long Night, Part I_

_**Alyssa's Mindscape…** _

_As the orange-haired woman walked through her mind's version of Magnolia, she saw that a few of the details were missing. Streets sign that Alyssa couldn't recall the names of were blank or had blurry text, some weren't the right color or seemed to shift between colors, and, most importantly, there was no one around. Then again, Alyssa was no expert on the workings of the human mind, so she decided to just go with her gut. And right now, her gut was telling her to head to the Fairy Tail Guildhall._

_But as Alyssa started to walk, she heard something. The sound of metal tapping on cobblestone. The orange-haired woman looked around but failed to see anything that could've made that noise._

" _Hello?" She asked. "Who's there? Wait a minute, this is all in my head. Shouldn't I know who it-"_

_Alyssa's train of thought ground to a halt as something burst through the ground in front of her and she leaped back. The dust quickly settled to reveal a human-shaped figure shrouded in a dark purple miasma that clung to its skin. It's only discernible feature was a pair of glowing, purple eyes that penetrated the miasma like spears. The figure held its hand out and went still._

" _Huh. I guess you're my mental block. That was pretty easy." The orange-haired wizard said as she looked over the strange and unsettling figure. She cracked her knuckles and fell into a fighting stance. "Alright. Let's get this over with!"_

_Alyssa channeled her magic into her right arm, which began to vibrate before she launched ahead. "Speed Queen: Vibration Punch!"_

_The Amazonian wizard blasted ahead and punched the miasma-veiled figure with a loud slam…and then immediately brought her hand back in a scream of pain. 'WHAT THE FUCK?! It feels like I punched a metal wall.' And before she could do anything else, the figure grabbed her by the arm and tossed her into a nearby building, the wall collapsing upon impact._

" _That…that hurt." Alyssa groaned as the being clanked closer to its opponent. The orange-haired woman got back up. "Okay, let's try this again."_

_This time, Alyssa decided to go a different approach, running around the being at high speeds, hoping to distract it before landing a massive blow. But to her shock, the figure quickly turned around and caught Alyssa's fist. Caught in the being's vice-like grip, Alyssa could only watch as the being drew back its fist before it socked her right in the face, knocking the wizard to the ground._

_Alyssa forced herself to get up and grit her teeth. "One… more… time…"_

_This continued on for what felt like hours. No matter what kind of attempt or spell Alyssa threw at the figure ended in failure and her being tossed around._

" _I...I can't…" Alyssa said as she picked herself up, the figure staring at her at it approached her._

_And so, the orange-haired woman ran. Ran out of Magnolia until she needed to catch her breath. But when she did, she noticed she was on a very familiar hill with a small hut…and a tombstone in front of it. And this realization filled her to the brim with sadness._

_In front of Alyssa was Lisanna's tombstone, the same one that her, Natsu, Zeke, Happy and Jackson put together and placed it in her memory. The area around the orange-haired woman began to shift to…to that terrible day._

_The then four members of Team Morningstar were going about their day when they saw Mirajane and Elfman walk through the Guildhall's doors. Mira was bruised, beaten and crying her eyes out. And Elfman…she had never seen a person look as broken as Elfman did that day._

_Naturally, the four asked what happened to their guildmates and why Lisanna wasn't among them. And through their tears, the Strauss Siblings told them. Told them about how they had accepted a mission to kill a powerful monster called "The Beast" that had been roaming the mountains of a small town. How they tracked the creature to its cave and Elfman attempted to use his Take-Over Magic to absorb the monster._

_And how the process drove Elfman into a murderous frenzy, causing him to attack his sisters. Lisanna attempted to reach out to her big brother…only for him to smack her away, causing the cave around them to collapse. It was only Mirajane's shrieks of horror, calling out their sister's name that snapped Elfman out of that of his rage. The result of the battle caused the mountain to come crashing down around them, forcing Mira to use the last of her Mana to save the two. But as the two looked into the crumbling mountain, one thing was clear; while there were wizards that could survive that, they knew their sister was not one of them. Lisanna was dead._

_For the next week, no eye in Fairy Tail was dry. And even though a gravestone was built in the Guild-owned lot, the members of Team Morningstar and the Strauss siblings felt that Lisanna would've wanted something more personal. So they built a gravestone and placed it in front of the hut they had built together as children._

" _Thank you," a soft voice said, snapping Alyssa out of her train of thought. The orange-haired woman turned to the source of the sound and froze. Standing there as clear as the day she left for that mission was Lisanna._

" _Li…Lisanna." The orange-haired woman whispered as she began to reach out…only to reel her hand back. "No…this is all in my head. You're not her."_

" _I know." Lisanna, or rather the memory of Lisanna, said as she walked and stopped in front of the gravesite. "But we both know that the real Lisanna would be happy that you and others did this."_

_The memory then turned and smiled thankfully at Alyssa. And even though she knew it wasn't the real one, the orange-haired woman hugged the facsimile of her friend._

" _I miss you. We all do." Alyssa said as tears ran down her eyes._

" _I know." The Lisanna memory said as she hugged her back. "But…"_

" _But what?"_

" _Why haven't you made one for them?"_

_Before Alyssa could even react, the memory of Lisanna began fading into nothingness, leaving the orange-haired alone once more…at least for a few seconds. Suddenly, the hut near her exploded, causing Alyssa to cover herself from the debris. And when she opened her eyes, she saw the mist-covered figure walking out of the rubble, its arm held out once more._

_Seeing their childhood hangout, even if it was just a memory, destroyed, Alyssa clenched her fists in anger. "Alright then. Round two, motherfucker."_

_And so their battle began again._

_**Magnolia…** _

After fishing Alexander out of the canal, Natsu was using some low heat to dry his blue-haired teammate off.

"Ahhhh," Alex happily said. "That feels nice. I guess this is how ya dry off so fast."

"Yup," the salmon-haired wizard replied as he continued to move his hands around. "How did you end up in the canal anyway?"

"Ah, now that is quite the tale."

_**A few minutes earlier…** _

" _Drag him underneath the ship! A terrifying deadly trip!" Alexander, five pints to the wind, sang as he attempted to balance himself on the edge of a bridge overlooking the canal. "Keelhaul that filthy landlubber! Send him down to the depths below! Make that bastard walk the plank with a bottle of rum and a yo-ho-ho! Keelhaul that filthy landlubber! Send him down to the depAAAHHH!"_

_As he got into the second verse, the blue-haired wizard slipped on a loose stone, falling into the canal. But at this point, he was so drunk, he continued to sing as the water dragged him away._

_**Now…** _

"And then you found me." Alexander finished his 'story.' "…okay, maybe that wasn't quite as interesting as I thought."

After hearing his teammate chuckle at this, the blue-haired wizard held out the bottle of gin he had with him. "Want a swig?"

"Nah, I'm good."

"More for me then!" Alexander cheered on before he started to chug the remaining gin. He shuddered and let out a content sigh. "Damn, that's strong!"

But while the one-eyed wizard was reveling in his alcohol, Natsu looked at him with a neutral expression.

"What's up with you lately?" Natsu asked, making Alexander raise an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" the pirate asked.

"You've been drinking a lot, ever since we came back from the Badlands," Natsu stated. "Are you alright?"

Hearing this made the blue-haired man scowl for a moment before laughing it off. "Just what is with everyone? First Mira and now you? What's wrong with me enjoying myself? Cana goes through more alcohol than anyone else but no one asks her if she has a problem."

And as Alex continued to drink, Natsu really took a good look at his teammate. And after he did so, he sighed.

"You know, I really don't get it," the salmon-haired man said, making Alexander pause. "I don't get why people try to bottle up their sadness."

"Phhh. I don't know what you're talkin' about, Salamander," Alex retorted as he balled his shaking free hand into a fist. "I don't have anything to be sad about. I'm...I'm fine."

"Ya, I'm sure you are," Natsu replied as he looked up at the sky. "You put on a smile and say that everything's alright, even though inside, you're drowning in despair."

"What are…"

"It's nothing too obvious," the salmon-haired man interrupted. "But I can tell by a few things. Your eyes, your hands, and even your body language. I know this because…" Natsu sighed and got a sad look in his eyes. "Because Alyssa's the same way."

"Huh? Speed Queen? But…she's always so…friendly." As the blue-haired wizard said this, he tried to think of a moment where Alyssa was sad… only to draw a blank.

"That's because she doesn't like to bother anyone else with her problems," Natsu said with a look of melancholy. "Trust me. Underneath that confidence and smile, Alyssa's just as vulnerable as everyone else. But even when she tries to hide it, I can tell when something's bothering her. And right now, you have the same look as her."

Alexander said nothing for a while, gazing down at his empty hand and the empty bottle of gin in the other. On some level, he was angry at Natsu…because he'd seen right through him. But another part of him felt relieved, seeing this as an opportunity to vent. Finally, he took a breath before speaking up.

"Back when Raven Tail attacked us, I ended up fighting a swordswoman named Oroboros. But when I summoned Hǔ to help me out, he called her a different name: Shé, the Red Snake Spirit."

"No way! She was a Celestial Spirit?" Natsu exclaimed, getting a nod in response.

"Naturally, I was confused as hell. So when I got home, I asked Gōngjī about it." As he continued on, he started to laugh. "And get this; not only did she break the ultimate taboo, meaning her key no longer exists, but that legendary 'Miracle' I told you guys about? It's just that, a legend."

Alex continued to laugh, and Natsu, not knowing how to react, could only stare on in shock.

"So my ultimate goal for the last ten years or so has been all for fucking nothing! Losing my eye, risking my life, searching all across the sea; all of it was pointless! And they all knew it!" Alexander continued as his voice began to shake. "Everything single one of my spirits, my so-called friends, led me on one hell of a fool's errand!"

The pirate looked up at the sky and started to shout. "So sorry, Wendy. I guess you're stuck in the afterlife while I'm stuck down here, alone."

The blue-haired continued to laugh and laugh and laugh. But eventually, that laughter turned into sobbing and tears began to flow out of his single eye. As he continued to break down, he dropped the gin bottle and grabbed his face.

"I…it's not fair. First my parents, then Grandine. And then Wendy. She was the last family I had, and I got her killed! All these years, I thought I could bring her back! But…I can't. I can't do anything."

The celestial wizard continued to bawl, not even caring that someone was watching him cry. Natsu watched this, unsure of what to do or say for a moment. But then it finally hit him. He stood up, walked towards the crying Alexander...and hugged him.

"W-What?" Alex asked, confused by his guildmate's sudden action.

"It's alright," Natsu said, paraphrase the words that Makarov once told him, and then he turned told Alyssa. "If you need the cry, then go ahead."

While at first stunned, Alex did just that, crying into his friend's vest for a while. After what seemed like forever, the two separated, the blue-haired man wiping the tears and snot from his face.

"Feeling better?"

"A little bit." The former pirate said, his face still sullen.

"You know, you're wrong about one thing. Wendy wasn't the last family you had." Natsu said. Alexander looked at him and the salmon-haired man pointed to the guild mark on his shoulder. "You see this mark? This right here makes us family. And it's not just me and you, you've all of Fairy Tail and your crew standing with you. So whenever you feel sad, just remember that you're never really alone."

He then got up. "And I can't say I know how you feel, but I do know someone you should talk to about this."

"Who?"

"You already know. After all, you're dating her."

'Mirajane.' Alexander thought before shaking his head.

"Natsu, if I'm being completely honest, Mirajane and I aren't that serious," Alexander said as looked down on the ground. "Hell, with the way I've been acting lately, I wouldn't be shocked if she decided to dump me."

"Nah, I don't think so," the dragon-slayer said as he placed his arms behind his head. "If you didn't know it, you and Mira have a lot in common. Next time you see her, ask her about Lisanna."

'Lisanna,' The blue-haired tried to think of where he heard that name before as Natsu began to walk away.

"Well, I gonna head off. Take care of yourself, Alex."

As the salmon-haired man walked away, Alexander looked at him for a moment before letting out a light chuckle. 'And here I thought I had ya pegged down. But you're full of surprises aren't ya, Natsu?'

After a bit, the celestial wizard got up as well, dusting off his coat and heading off, the bottle of gin left on the ground. But Alexander did not head home. Instead, he decided to go to a place he had only been once or twice.

And he wasn't only one not heading home. After hearing Alexander talk about his sister, Natsu started thinking about Hoshi. When he went to the Guildhall earlier, he had seen the damage done and heard that his big sister had gotten into a fight with a markless named Oro…something. Naturally, he wanted to check on her since she was no longer at the Guildhall. As such, the salmon-haired wizard headed for Fairy Hills.

'Good thing I'm an expert at sneaking into it.' He thought with a mischievous expression.

_**Alyssa's Mindscape…** _

_Round Two against the cloaked figure was going just as poor as the first one. No matter what spell she used, no matter what angle she attacked it at, the figure always managed to recover. So when Alyssa tried to punch it in its face, the figure grabbed her by the arm and tossed her into the air like a ragdoll._

_When Alyssa landed, she quickly rubbed her sore body and cleared the debris off her. And when she did so, she noticed she had landed near a riverbank. The same riverbank that Natsu proposed to her at. 'How the hell did I get here?' She wondered as she hadn't been anywhere near the river during her fight. Scanning the area, she saw the miasma-cloaked figure was nowhere to be seen. Alyssa allowed herself to relax, the memory of that day flowing into her mind and brought a brief smile to her face even as she took a moment to catch her breath._

" _Come on now, Alyssa. I taught you better than that," a voice chimed in, one that Alyssa hadn't heard in over six years. The orange-haired woman turned and saw a familiar woman. The long black hair in a ponytail, the tanned and muscular physique, and orange eyes. She wore an outfit that was almost identical to Alyssa's with a sleeveless dark blue top, black fingerless gloves, black tight pants with matching boots, and a light blue Fairy Tail mark on her right bicep._

" _Mast- I mean…Mrs. Teagen."_

" _What? No 'Master Helena'?" The lady asked as she leaped down towards the taller woman. "Although it's a wonder you bothered to remember me at all."_

" _...why? Why are you…" Alyssa began to ask before putting it together. "No, this is in my head. You're not real."_

" _Really? Is that any way to treat your teacher?" Helena, or rather the memory of Helena, said as the area around them began to change. It showed a younger and much smaller Alyssa punching and hitting some training gloves held by Helena. And even though young Alyssa was hitting the gloves as fast as she could, the black-haired woman barely moved._

" _I don't get it!" Young Alyssa yelled out, pouting and sweating. "What's wrong with my magic?"_

" _There's nothing wrong with your speed," Helena said with an understanding smile before flexing her marked bicep. "Take this heart, Lyssa. You can hit our foes a thousand times, but a punch won't mean a thing if you got no power behind it."_

_And Alyssa did take that lesson to heart, the area around her showing the young girl training and pushing her body past its limits. Throughout all of that, Helena was there to encourage her and cheer her on._

" _And yet, this is the first time you've thought about me in years," Helena said, her face solemn. "Why is that?"_

_In response, Alyssa clenched her teeth. "You know damn well why."_

_Once more the area around them changed. First, it showed several flashes. An undead abomination rampaging through the Guildhall, a black-haired man using exploding paper dolls, an iron-skinned Lyle being tossed around by a mystical force, and Amelia attempting to shoot something. The area settled as it showed the old Fairy Tail Guildhall and the area around them had been thrown up by a massive fight._

_In the center of the devastation were five central figures. An injured but still standing Lyle who had blood running down his face, an equally bruised up Amelia who was looking away from the scene, and Makarov, who looked on in sadness._

_Struggling against enchanted vines was a younger Bernard, who was being restricted by a group of Rune Knights. Nearby, Helena was being held down by another group, her legs encased in a hunk of amber._

" _So this is it, huh?" Bernard scowled at Lyle and Makarov as the Rune Knights began to drag him and Helena away. "All that talk about family and being there…it was all just a lie."_

_Helena said nothing, her face filled with a look of hurt and betrayal. Observing this were the Fairy Tail wizards, including a trio of teenagers._

" _Uncle Bernard," Zeke whispered in shock while Natsu held Alyssa's hand to comfort her, the orange-haired girl unable to believe her master could attack her fellow guildmates._

" _Even after Ivan let that…thing attack us, you and Bernard helped him escape," Alyssa said, scowling at the Helena Memory. "So why should I think about...about a traitor?"_

" _And yet, here I am," the memory replied. "Because somewhere deep down, you understand the real Helena. Why she defended Ivan despite his actions. After all, if it came down to it, wouldn't you do the same if it were Zeke or Natsu in that position?"_

"…"

" _But that's not the question you should be asking. There's another one that's eating away in your subconscious, even if you didn't know it."_

" _Wh-what question?"_

" _Why haven't you made one for them?"_

" _What a minute, that's…" But like with the facsimile of Lisanna, the memory of Helena faded away into nothing, revealing the mist-covered enigma on the other side of the riverbank._

" _Oh, come on." The orange-haired woman said before once more getting into her fighting pose._

_**Magnolia…** _

"Yeowch, that stings!" Hoshi groaned as she reapplied her medical gauze. After getting her ass kicked by Orochi, the Staff Wizard was treated in the guild clinic. Luckily her injuries weren't anything worse than some large cuts, so as long as she kept the gauze on, she should be fine. But that still didn't fix her mood as she thought about the fight. Even after a year, she was still unable to even land a single hit on Orochi. So suffice to say, Hoshi was feeling a tad down.

'But I know what can cheer me up,' she thought with a smile as she walked to her bed. She then reached under her sheets and pulled out an issue of Sorcery Weekly. Specifically, an older issue that featured a shirtless and impressively muscular male wizard from Quatro Cerberus. A perverted smirk etched itself onto her face as she sat her bed. 'Alright, Daniel. Take me to paradise.'

But before Hoshi could enjoy some 'alone time', she suddenly heard a knock…coming from her window. Naturally, this confused the amber-eyed woman, so she got up and pulled the curtains, greeted by the sight of her younger brother pressing his face against the glass, causing her to fall back with yell of shock.

"Hiya, Hoshi!" Natsu said with a wave, crouched on the windowsill.

"Natsu?! What the hell?!" Hoshi shouted as she got back up.

"Can you let me in? My knees are starting to cramp."

With a sigh, Hoshi did just that, opening the window and letting her brother into her room.

"So this is what your room looks like," Natsu said he looked around. Her room was nothing out of the usual, with posters of famous wizards, a bookshelf, and a row of the same hats inside her opened closet. "Kind of thought it would be more girly."

"What are you doing here, Natsu?" Hoshi asked as she crossed her arms under her chest. But as she did, she noticed she was still holding her 'special' issue of Sorcery Weekly and quickly tossed it under her bed. "Erza's gonna kill you if she finds out you snuck in."

"I heard ya got into a big fight and wanted to check in on ya. And don't worry about Erza. I've snuck into this place more times than she's caught me," he said with a slightly smug expression. It didn't take long for Hoshi to realize why he would need to sneak into Fairy Hills.

"Gross," she said with a shiver as Natsu sat down on her bed.

"So what happened with you and Orkos? Everyone I asked said you attacked her out of nowhere."

It took a moment for Hoshi to realize he meant Orochi and had herself a slight chuckle. 'I'll have to remember that.'

She then sat in her desk chair, looking at Natsu as she did so. "I did. I guess I was kind of hoping to force her into a rematch. A lot of good that did me."

"Rematch? So you've fought her before?"

"It's a whole thing," Hoshi said as she sighed.

"I got nowhere to be," Natsu replied as he sat on her bed. The behatted girl contemplated for a moment before realizing she didn't really have a reason not to tell Natsu.

"Alright. So about a year ago, an archaeologist named Derek Henson put a call out for freelance wizards for an escort job. Apparently, he found a Nirvit artifact and going to bring it to a museum curator in Hargeon. But he was afraid that thieves might try to steal it, so he hired me and a few other Markless to act as his bodyguards."

"Sounds like a normal escort mission."

"If only. After two days on the road… _she_ showed up," Hoshi said, scowling as she remembered that day. "Orochi Kubo, the Origami Goddess and one of the most notorious Markless out there. She appeared out of nowhere and attacked us. So we naturally fought back. Well, 'fought' is a strong word. She pretty much walked through us. I mean we had a Spirit Channeler, a lightning mage, and even a bunch of weapon wizards. And she almost killed all of us. So yeah, after that 'fun' she took the artifact and all of our collective reputations went down the toilet."

Hearing this made Natsu raise an eyebrow, especially how Hoshi's mood became ever more sullen. "I guess I'd be mad if I got beaten up too, but what does reputation have to do with it?"

"Well, guild wizards have the benefit of built-in brand recognition. If you're part of a famous guild, clients are more likely to trust you with the high-paying jobs. But Markless have to prove their worth with a constant workload and near-perfect record. And after Orochi, I spent the next year scraping by with D-Class missions."

And after getting all of that off her chest, she took a deep breath and exhaled. "So yeah, that's my deal with her. She kicked my ass a year ago and she kicked my ass today. And because I'm apparently a glutton for punishment, I challenged her to a rematch at the end of the month."

Natsu said nothing for a moment before having a chuckle. "You know, Zeke's called me that too. Especially whenever I challenge Gildarts."

And hearing about this strange similarity between the two did lighten Hoshi's mood a bit. "You know, Natsu, I just realized something."

"What's that?"

"I think this is the longest conversation we've had since we reunited."

"Huh. How about that?" Natsu said. "I guess you're right. I never noticed how grouchy you can be."

"Hey, I'm not grouchy!" The older sibling retorted. "I've just been having a bad day."

"Ya. Sure." The salmon-haired wizard said before he started to look under her bed. "So what were you reading before I came in?"

A blush came over Hoshi's face before she quickly rushed in and grabbing Natsu to keep him looking. "N-Nothing!"

"Really? It doesn't sound like nothing." The younger sibling said as he reached under the bed, despite his sister struggling against him. This led to a small and rather stupid looking pulling match between the two. But secretly the two somewhat enjoyed, acting like true siblings for the first time in years.

_**Alyssa's Mindscape…** _

" _Firsts damn it! What the fuck is up with that thing?" Alyssa groaned as she limped into the forest. Much like her previous confrontations with the enigma, it ended with the Speed Queen getting her ass kicked. After escaping once more, the orange-haired woman decided she would try to wait it out and recover her strength before fighting that thing again._

_As she trekked through the forest, she couldn't help but think of the facsimiles of Lisanna and Helena she talked to. Out of all the people in her life, why did she come across them? As far as she could tell, there was no one else in her mental recreation of Magnolia aside from them, the strange being that she was still certain was her mental block, and herself._

_But soon, Alyssa began to hear singing and dancing, like something was throwing one hell of a party. Curious, the orange-haired woman walked towards the source of the sound, eventually seeing a light in the distance. She continued to head towards it until she reached a clearing. And what she saw left her speechless._

_What she found was a large clearing, with four carriages and a campfire. Partying in the large cleaning was pretty much everyone in Fairy Tail, from her own team to the older members like Makarov…and they weren't alone. Chatting up and partying with the members of Fairy Tail were several people of various ages, a few of them having the same shade of orange hair she had._

_Her family._

_Everyone was there, just as she remembered them. Granpappy Martin, the troublesome twin cousins Neil and Nancy, her eccentric aunt Erika, her uncles Harold and Spencer. And talking with Natsu was her mother, Eileen, and her father, Sid. Her father was still as tall and jovial with a matching dirty blond beard and hair. Her mother was chatting animatedly with Natsu with a huge smile on her face, the light of the fire reflecting off her orange hair. But as they talked, Natsu turned and smiled when he saw her._

" _Alyssa!" Natsu shouted before he ran up and hugged her._

" _Look who finally showed up," Sid said with a smile before placing his hand on Natsu's shoulder. "You picked one hell of a fiance."_

" _What took you so long, pumpkin?" Eileen asked. Alyssa said nothing as her eyes began to water. With tears flowing down her face, she hugged her parents with all her might. "Alyssa?"_

" _I…I'm sorry I took so long."_

" _It's alright."_

_For what felt like hours, Alyssa chatted and partied with her family and guildmates. And even though she knew this wasn't real, she didn't care. This was a dream come true for her, and she was going to enjoy every moment of it._

_She saw Zeke and Juvia being teased by her cousins and blushing up a storm. Her father and Natsu had gotten into an eating contest that she was sure they'd later regret. Her mother adored her engagement ring and took her around the camp to show if off the rest of her family. As the night began to draw to a close, everyone, her guildmates and family alike, started singing and dancing around the campfire. It was perfect._

_Later on, after the excitement had died down, Alyssa found herself snuggling with Natsu, watching everyone else from her spot around the campfire. She looked on and saw everyone else happy and jovial. She felt like she could almost fall asleep with how peaceful everything was. But as she looked on, she noticed someone in the background._

_It was a small figure in a cloak being helped up by Neil and Nancy, his yellow eyes showing from his hood. And when Alyssa's saw this, her eyes widened in realization._

" _No," she whispered, quickly getting back up._

" _Alyssa?" Natsu asked, standing up with her. "What's wro-"_

_The facsimile of the dragon-slayer was cut short when a shadowy tendril suddenly stabbed him through the throat. Said tendril quickly retracted, causing a fountain of blood to spill from his throat, killing him instantly._

" _NATSU!" Alyssa shouted, clutching him before hearing her aunt scream. The orange-haired wizard looked at the source of the tendril, seeing a sight she had never wished to see again; the torn up remains of the twins at the feet of a cloaked old man, blood dripping down from his mouth._

" _N-No, not again." Alyssa whimpered as her uncles attempted to attack the murderer with an ax, only for the old man to morph into a massive shadow maw and bite his arm off. "It's happening again."_

_A chain of events began to unravel, one that the Speed Queen had seen played in her darkest memories and nightmares hundreds of times. After slaughtering the twins and biting one of her uncles' arms off, the old man turned into a mass of shadows and began shooting tendrils out of enmass from its shapeless form. The tendrils then proceeded to stab her uncles through the neck, killing them instantly._

_After them, the creature went after Aunt Erika and Martin. As Martin was paralyzed by fear, Erika attempted to fight it off with the monster with a torch, only for the two to be torn apart at it turned into a mass of shadows and teeth. As Erika and Martin were brutally consumed, the torch she was holding fell to the grass, setting the foliage ablaze._

" _Say behind us, pumpkin!" Eileen shouted as she pulled out a pistol and Sid grabbed one of the tent stakes._

" _No, don't!" Alyssa shouted pointlessly as her parents attacked the creature. But in an instant, the monster transformed its arm into a shadow scythe. In one swing, Sid and Eileen's heads were lopped off from their bodies, falling down lifelessly as the fire around continued to grow worse. And even more horrifying, the heads landed near Alyssa, their faces frozen in horror. In absolute shock, the woman reached out to the heads but was unable to bring herself to touch them, her hands falling in the pool of blood created from the red rivers flowing from their bodies._

_Alyssa wanted to scream, but no words were able to escape her mouth. All she could do was look up watch as the creature took a humanoid shape as the fire had spread to their caravan, burning them to ash. It only got worse from there as the entirely of Fairy Tail charged at it._

_The creature then began to change shape until it became a familiar silver-haired man with red and black eyes. With a sickeningly wide smile, the man transformed into a massive sphere of shadows and tendrils. One by one, the members of Fairy Tail were impaled and sucked into the sphere. Everyone from Makarov to Lucy. Entire teams like Morningstar, Shadow Gear, and the Thunder Legion murdered and consumed. Tendrils then shot and grabbed the heads of the Grunewalds and Natsu's corpse, their dead eyes looking at Alyssa as they were sucked into the ever-expanding mass._

_In an act of pure fear, Alyssa turned around and began to run. However, tendrils wrapped around her legs, causing her to fall. And before the orange-haired woman could struggle, more tendrils around her body, keeping her arms in place with inhuman strength. And then they began to pull._

" _No. NonononononoNONONONONONONO!" Alyssa cried out, desperately scraping at the burning grass to keep herself from being sucked in by the shadow creature, tears flowing down her eyes. "SOMEBODY HELP ME!"_

_But no one came to her aid, letting the Shadowman engulf her in his endless shadow, the last thing she saw was her family's caravan burning._

_Darkness. That all was that surrounded her. Further and further into the darkness Alyssa fell, and the more of herself she felt wither away. Soon, the image of the strong and confident Speed Queen she had forged herself into was gone. In the darkness, she was once more that scared child, crying out for a family she knew would never come._

_Reality. Mental Illusion. It no longer mattered to her. All she wanted to do was wake up from this nightmare._

_But before Alyssa closed her eyes forever, she once more saw a pair of piercing, glowing purple eyes. The same ones from before._

" _What do you want? I've already lost everything," the orange-haired child asked. And for the first time since she encountered it, the figure spoke in Alyssa's adult voice._

_**Why haven't you made one for them?** _

" _Why do you keep saying that!? Who's 'them'!?"_

_The figure did not answer. Instead, memories of Alyssa's family showed around them. The wild stories Marvin would tell. The time her and the twins went tree climbing. Her uncles teaching her how to fish. Erika catching a bird right out of the sky. And her parents tucking her in at night. And more pleasant memories played out. But quickly all of them began to change, once more showing the night of the massacre._

_And it continued to happen, no matter how happy the memory was. All them shifted and led back to that horrible night. And with every shift, Alyssa begged for it to just be a nightmare that she could wake up from._

_**Lisanna's death wasn't a nightmare.** _

_**Helena betraying the guild wasn't a nightmare.** _

_**And what happened that night wasn't a nightmare.** _

_**All of that is fact. And you can't run from that, no matter how fast you are.** _

_Just like before, the figure held its mist-covered hand out. Alyssa looked at this, and realized something; the being only ever attacked her when she engaged first. When it appeared again, still didn't fight her until she attacked. All it did…was hold its hand out._

_With nothing left to lose, Alyssa reached out and took the figure's hand. In a chain reaction, the mist tore away from the figure, finally revealing its full form to her._

_It was a set of armor, golden as the rays of the sun, with purple outlines in various parts. On each of the gauntlets were vents and a purple gem above the fists. The golden boots were also adorned in piping. Along with a matching armored skirt, leggings, and torso armor, the helmet of the armor had two solid purple eyes, a golden crown-like headpiece, and a solid gold mouthpiece._

_Alyssa looked on the beautiful armor in stunned awe, and just like that, things started to click into place for her. The being was her Soul Armor all this time…and she herself was the mental block. And when she realized that, the Soul Armor faded away, revealing her adult self looking at her with a kind and understanding smile. The younger Alyssa smiled in return with tears still running down her face._

_And as the two embraced, a golden aura began to shine out from them, destroying the shadows around them._

The light soon faded and Alyssa opened her eyes. The first thing she noticed was that everything in her vision looked like a purple filter was placed over it. The second thing she saw was the Rendons looking down on her, the Dream Crown in his hands.

"You did it, senorita," the older wizard said with a smile. "Take a look."

Cautiously, Alyssa stepped off the bed and took a look at herself in the full-length mirror. She was adorned in armor. The same she saw in her mind, the name of which came to her like second nature.

" _Jet Empress."_

"It's beautiful," Corona said. Alyssa didn't respond, her mind still consumed by a singular question. One that she now had an answer for.

" _Mr. Rendon, do you have a pick and chisel?"_

The grey-haired man raised an eyebrow. "Yes, why?"

" _There's something I need to do."_  And when her armor vanished, the couple saw the look in her eyes and understood.

"Take your time," Balam said.

Later, the orange-haired woman found a secluded glade within the woods.

"Better get started." The Speed Queen/Soul Armor Wizard said to herself. She then picked up the hammer and chisel and began to work on one of the eight large stones around her.

_**Magnolia…** _

'Another boring-ass day.' Gajeel thought as he climbed up a set of stairs to his apartment. And that was true, aside from Hoshi and Orochi's impromptu fight.

Now normally, the Iron Dragon-Slayer didn't mind a boring day at the guild. He found having to interact with the Fairy Tail wizards to be a huge pain in the ass. And usually, he would instead hang out with his teammates. But nowadays, not so much.

Robin was busy fucking that weirdo with a grate over his face and creepy floating dolls while Natalie spent her time hanging around Salamander's sister. She was also possibly crushing on that Ever-bitch that turned him into stone a while back, so that was another layer of annoyance for him.

And so, Gajeel was ready to turn in for the night. But as he reached the door to his apartment, something felt…off. With a scowl on his face, he started to transform his arm into an iron sword.

"I know you can smell me," a calm male voice suddenly spoke up from inside the apartment, surprising Gajeel. "You can relax, Mr. Redfox. I'm not here to hurt you. I just want to talk."

Deciding to proceed with caution, Gajeel slowly opened the door and saw the intruder was currently using his coffee maker. He was a man in his late twenties with neatly combed teal-blue hair and pale, alabaster skin. His black outfit brought to the mind the image of a military officer, complete with white gloves and black boots. The man then turned around as he poured himself a cup of coffee, revealing his sharp silver eyes.

"Who the fuck are you?" Gajeel asked, only for the man to smile at him in return.

"My name is Allan Ward. And I would like to make you an offer, Mr. Redfox."

_To be continued…_


	24. The Long Night, Part II

_Chapter 24: The Long Night, Part II_

_**Back then…** _

" _I AM SO SICK OF THESE FUCKING GOLEMS!" Natalie shouted as she blew apart another golem as Robin sliced apart another stone creature and Gajeel ripped one in two. It had been a few minutes since the Unholy Trinity had reconvened. And like the rest of Fairy Tail, they were in the midst of fighting a seemingly endless horde of golems._

'Guys, we found the Mother Golem!'  _Levy shouted over the mental link._ 'She's in a warehouse at the end of Ewing Boulevard! We got thAAAAAHHH!'

'LEVY!'  _Jet and Droy shouted as the Trinity saw a massive blast of lightning near them. The three quickly headed in that direction and saw Shadow Gear fighting against the massive Mother Golem with all their might. Jet continued to punch and kick the creature at high speeds until his fists and feet began to bleed while Droy attempted to restrain the golem with giant vines. They also saw Levy struggling to get back up, clearing having been hit by the earlier lightning blast._

_Gajeel saw the creature begin to charge another blast aimed at Levy, causing the Iron Dragon-Slayer's eyes to widen. Without even thinking, he summoned his Iron Scales and leaped in front of the blue-haired woman, taking the brunt of the blast._

" _What the?!" Jet, Droy, Robin, and Natalie shouted._

" _G-Gajeel?" Levy asked, surprised that the man who once attack and crucified her protected her._

" _You call that lightning?" Gajeel asked through the pain, his dragon-like smirk still on his face. "That was fuckin' nothing!"_

_With a yell, the Iron Dragon-Slayer joined the fray and began to attack the Mother Golem, all why Levy looked on in stunned silence._

_**And now...** _

If tension was tangible, Gajeel's apartment would've collapsed to the ground floor due to the sheer volume of it. The Iron Dragon-Slayer was currently sitting at one end of his kitchen table, watching the enigmatic Allan Ward pour a cup of coffee for him. The teal-haired man then slid the cup to the black-haired, who then cautiously sniffed the drink.

"I didn't spike it." Allan chimed in, his expression unreadable despite his smile. But even still, Gajeel refused to drink. "I must say, you've quite the interesting year, Mr. Redfox. Your guild starts a war, it's forced to disbanded, and then you're forced to join your enemy."

"You trying to piss me off?"

"Not really."

"So what? Have you been stalking me? Because I don't swing that way."

Allan chuckled at that. "Trust me, you're not my type. I'm actually here on behalf of my organization."

"What, you from a guild?"

"No, we're far greater than a common wizard guild." The teal-haired man answered before sipping some coffee. "You see, Mr. Redfox, you and I have a lot in common."

Allan then raised his free hand and channeled mana through it. Snow began to manifest and float in the space around his hand. The teal-haired man then closed and reopened his eyes, showing that his pupils became slanted. It didn't take long for Gajeel to put it together.

"You're a Dragon-Slayer."

"Correct," Allan replied. "The Snow Dragon Mobius decided to take pity on a young boy caught in an avalanche and taught him how to fend for himself. And there are far more of us than most people realize Mr. Redfox."

"Alright, but what does this have to do with me?"

The teal-haired man took another sip of coffee. "I represent an organization whose goal is to bring together all Dragon-Slayers under one banner of superiority."

"Superiority?"

"Think about it, Mr. Redfox. As Dragon-Slayers, we have enhanced strength, senses that no human can copy, and we can instantly gain more mana by simply eating our element. Compared to humans, we are the superior breed."

'So that's what he's going for.' Gajeel thought as Allan continued his pitch.

"And that's why you should join us, Mr. Redfox. You won't have to pretend you're not better than any common human." He said, saying that last word with spite. "So what do you say? Will you follow me and join the glorious-"

"Ya, I'm gonna stop ya right there. Look, I don't give a shit about Fairy Tail, but I got family here." He proclaimed, thinking of Robin and Natalie. "So fuck off with your 'superior breed' bullshit."

Allan looked at the younger dragon-slayer in shock before calming down and taking another sip of coffee. "And here I was hoping you'd be reasonable."

Underneath the table, Allan raised his right foot and a white magic circle appeared under it. Gajeel felt the temperature in his apartment begin to lower, realizing what was about to happen.

"Oh, shit."

" _Snow Dragon's Stomp."_

And so, Allan stomped his foot on the floor, suddenly unleashing a massive wave of snow that completely consumed Gajeel's apartment, blasting out all the windows. The sound of the said spell could be heard from a distance, reaching the ears of a certain blue-haired wizard who was walking home.

From the snow, Gajeel jumped out of his window in his Iron Scale form, a few cuts under his skin, scowling as he landed on the nearby street. Allan soon followed, landing with almost unnatural grace. Without saying a word, the teal-haired man leaped towards his foe, channeling magic into both arms.

" _Snow Dragon's Wing Attack!"_ The black-clad dragon-slayer swung his arms, striking Gajeel with twin torrents of snow. The iron-skinned man took on the spell and reared his right arm back.

" _Iron Dragon's Pole Arm!"_ Gajeel attempted to slam his opponent with his morphed arm, but Allan continued to evade the attacks with alarming calmness. And as he attempted to strike his teal-haired foe, Gajeel felt himself growing colder and colder, believing that Allan's magic was somehow affecting the area around them. He then transformed both his arms into Sword Arms and sliced at Allan, but his increasingly slow movements kept him from landing a hit. Eventually, the cold started to become too much for the Iron Dragon-Slayer and he fell to his knees.

"W-Why...why the h-hell is it so goddamn cold?" Gajeel asked, his breath becoming visible and his Iron Scales retreating. "I thought you said…"

"I told you I didn't spike your drink," Allan replied as he began to walk around the shivering dragon-slayer. He then placed his fingers on one of Gajeel's cuts, causing the black-haired man to wince. "But did you not wonder where your cuts came from?"

"Y-Ya, your d-dumbass stomp spell."

"The Stomp spell does not cut, Mr. Redfox. It's an area of effect spell meant for total destruction. For you see…" The silver-eyed man said as he held up his left pointer and middle fingers up. "...when I cast my spell, I also cast another as well.  _Snow Dragon's Scales."_

'What the fuck?! He silently simulcasted?!' Gajeel thought to himself, unable to say it as he began to feel colder and his stomach felt empty.

"Right now, hundreds of small scales are expanding within your body, gradually lowering your body temperature. Right now, it appears you're entering the early stages of hypothermia." Allan continued to explain. "As the scales continue to dwell inside you, you'll become confused, lethargic and nauseated until you pass out. And in most cases of hypothermia, falling unconscious is a death sentence."

Allan then crouched in front of Gajeel, raising his chin until they were eye to eye. "But I am not without mercy, Mr. Redfox. So I'll give you another chance. Join us, or die."

And despite his body slowly freezing to death, Gajeel had only one answer. And that answer was to spit in Allan's face. The silver-haired man's eyes widened before he smacked Gajeel to the ground.

"There's just no reasoning with you, is there?" The teal-haired man said as he pulled out a handkerchief to clean his face. "Very well. Have fun dying."

" _Solid Script: Cannon!"_

Out of nowhere, a large cannonball flew through the air towards Allan. Faster then he could react, the cannonball made contact, blasting him a few feet away and consuming him in smoke. Gajeel looked in stunned silence before seeing Levy run towards him and casting another spell.

" _Solid Script: Heat!"_ The blue-haired woman chanted before creating the word 'HEAT' made out of extremely hot air. The word then encompassed Gajeel, slowly raising his body temperature.

"Shrimp...what are you…"

"I saw that snow explosion a few blocks away," Levy explained. But before she could say anything else, the two heard unsettling laughter. The source of it was Allan walking out of the smoke, his clothes singed and torn from the attack and part of his torso burnt. But despite this, he smiled and chuckled, snow beginning to form around his body. Levy got into a combative stance as she saw this, this laughter getting louder and louder.

"Oh, this is just precious," Allan said as the snow took the shape of wings, claws, and a tail. "Tell me, Miss, do you really think a gnat like you stands any chance against a dragon?"

As he walked closer and closer towards them, Levy looked into his eyes. They were the eyes of a man who would kill without any hesitation. She also recalled the raw power that Dragon-Slayers like Natsu and Gajeel possessed, having felt the full force the night Gajeel attacked her and her team. Even with all the training she had done, she could really reach one conclusion.

"You're right." She answered, sweat running down her forehead. "You beat Gajeel without even breaking a sweat. And I'll admit, you're out of my league. I can tell just by looking at you."

"Hmph. Nice to see someone so willing to accept the truth." The silver-eyed man said as he extended his snow claws. "Now why don't you just let me kill the both of you and save us all a pointless struggle?"

"N-No fucking chance!" Gajeel struggled to get up, Levy's Heat Spell having only kept the Snow Scales within him at bay.

"That's right. You could probably kill me without any effort." The Solid Script Wizard continued.

"What the hell are doing, Shrimp?!"

"Wow," Allan said with a bemused expression. "I think I might just regret slaughtering someone as smart as you."

"But…there's one thing you haven't realized," Levy stated, making the teal-haired man stop in his tracks.

"And just what would that be?"

"Your little snowstorm attack was visible all over Magnolia." The blue-haired woman explained as she steeled her will, standing firm against her opponent. "I was able to see it from over a mile away. And I'd bet four months' salary that any Fairy Tail wizard who saw that is on their way to investigate. It could be anyone: Titania Erza, Natsu the Salamander, the deadly Thunder Legion, or even both the former and current Guild Masters; Makarov the Titan, and Material Master Lyle. We consider ourselves family."

She then pointed at Allan. "So do you really think you can take any or maybe even all of them at once? Especially after you've killed two of their guildmates?"

For a breath moment, the teal-haired dragon-slayer hesitated. While he confident in his abilities, he wasn't stupid enough to believe he could take on multiple top-tier wizards at once.

At the same time, Gajeel looked up at the blue-haired woman in awe. Despite even admitting to being outmatched, she stood her ground ready to protect him. Him, the man who practically crucified her and her team.

"The girl raises a good point, Allan." A feminine voice suddenly spoke from the shadows, followed by a small figure leaping out and landing in front of the Snow Dragon-Slayer. Her small body was covered in a black ninja outfit. But despite that, her ears, slanted green eyes, and orange-striped tail revealed her feline nature.

"A cat?" Gajeel said Levy was equally confused as the feline continued to talk.

"We have the two gunslingers heading at us from the east, the young ice-maker from the south, and Makarov coming from the north. I don't know about you, but I don't like our odds one bit. And besides…" She said before looking at Levy and Gajeel. "Do you really want to waste your time on such easy kills?"

The black-clad man thought for a moment. "You're right, Taiga." He then held his left hand out and snapped his fingers, dispelling the snow covering his body and scales in Gajeel's body. "Well, Mr. Redfox, consider you and guardian lucky. But not that lucky. Because you and everyone will soon know of us."

A pair of wings then grew from Taiga's back and she picked her teal-haired partner.

'She really is like Happy!' Levy thought as the two floated in the air.

"Keep this in mind, gnats. The Age of Humanity is coming to an end. And the Age of the Dragons has already begun. Taiga."

"Right." The orange & black feline said as a massive amount of mana flowed into her wings. " _Aera: Max Speed!"_

The two were engulfed in a green aura before blasting off at supersonic speed, vanishing into the night. And upon seeing them disappear into the sky, Levy out a huge breath.

"Oh, thank the Firsts. That was terrifying."

"What are you talking about? I'm the one who almost froze to death!" Gajeel exclaimed as he stumbled up. "But still…"

He then lightly punched Levy on the shoulder. "That…was pretty ballsy of ya, Shrimp. G-Good job."

Levy was a bit taken aback that Gajeel of all people showed her gratitude and smiled. But that only lasted a few seconds.

"So that guy. Was he really a Dragon-Slayer?"

"Yup." The black-haired man replied as he looked up at the sky. "From what he told me, there's a whole group of them."

"Well...shit," Levy said as Bisca, Alzack, Gray, and Makarov arrived. And as the blue-haired woman talked with the new arrivals, Gajeel couldn't help but wonder why Levy would help him a second time, his mind going back to their battle with the Mother Golem.

_**Back then…** _

" _FUCK!" Gajeel screamed as the Mother Golem tossed him into a nearby building. Things were going pretty bad for Shadow Gear and the Unholy Trinity. Each of the six wizards was running dangerously low on mana while the Mother Golem and her offspring were still going strong. 'If I had just a little more mana, I could…'_

" _Solid Script: Iron!" Suddenly, a metal construct shaped like the word 'IRON' fell in front of him. He turned his head and saw a panting Levy._

" _There...you…" The blue-haired wizard said before passing out. The black-haired man looked in shock before eating the word. As he digested it, the red-eyed man felt a new well of mana flowing through him again. As Jet and Natalie batted away some smaller golems while Robin and Droy tried to restrain the mother golem, Gajeel saw the sparkling core. Said core began to charge another attack spell._

_The black-haired man then transformed each of his arms into half of a drill. As he ran towards the Mother Golem, he slammed his arms together (creating a whole drill), leaped into the air and began to spin._

" _IRON DRAGON'S DRILL HORN!"_

_With all his might, Gajeel pierced the Mother Golem's core, finally killing the creature. And all over Magnolia, the smaller golems crumbled into the dust at the loss of their mother, much to the relief of every wizard and citizen. But as Gajeel's teammates were congratulating him on killing the monster, the black-haired wizard looked towards the unconscious Levy, who was carried away by her teammates. He had no idea if she could hear his thoughts anymore, but he was somewhat hoping she did._

' _Thanks…Shrimp.'_

_**The Fairy Tail Guildhall, The Next Day…** _

In Fairy Tail's Guild Master's office, Lyle sat at his desk signing paperwork. He had just finished filling out a document and put it in his out-box. He reached over his inbox to grab the next document but felt cool metal instead of paper. Eyes wide with surprise, Lyle looked over to find his desk's inbox was empty. The Material Master glanced up at the clock and found it only noon. 'Well that's a nice surprise,' Lyle thought as he rubbed his chin, unsure of what to do with the extra time on his hands. 'Guess I'll try organizing the storage room.'

While organizing the guild's storage room wasn't part of the Guild Master's duties, cleaning was one of Lyle's hobbies. There was something soothing and enjoyable about the repetitive nature of it, and Lyle always took great pride in seeing once messy room organized. And with both his son and wife out of town and his paperwork done, the Material Master had plenty of time on his hand.

Opening the door, Lyle whistled as he looked over the storage room, boxes stacked in precarious looking towers, books everywhere but the shelves, and random pieces of paper in every nook and cranny. 'Not even five months with the new Guildhall and this place is already a mess. I'm almost impressed,' the bespectacled man thought. As the Material Master examined a stack of boxes, he noticed Lucy sitting on the floor and flipping through a book.

"Lucy, what are you doing here?"

"Gah," the blonde yelped, slamming her book shut. "Oh, good afternoon, Master," Lucy said as she stood, leaving the book on the ground. "Erza and I took a break from training, so I decided I'd try tidying this place up. Guess I got distracted."

Lyle grinned. "That's what I came here to do. I'm glad you're here; cleaning and organizing will go faster with the two of us."

For a while, the two Wizards cleaned and organized the storage room in silence, with only the occasional direction from Lyle on what went where. Lucy was patting away books on their proper shelves and reached over to grab another and her elbow hit a stack of boxes. Normally this wouldn't be a big deal, but since this was Fairy Tail they were naturally stacked in a leaning tower so one tiny knock sent the whole thing crashing down, hundreds of photos spilling across the floor.

"Gah!" Lucy yelped (again) as she narrowly avoided the falling boxes.

"What happened?" Lyle shouted in concern.

"I'm sorry," Lucy said apologetically as she rubbed the back of her neck. "I barely touched it and the whole pile came crashing down."

Lyle sighed. "It's fine; not your fault it was stacked so high. Let's just clean this up."

And so, the two Wizards got to work gathering up all the photographs. They worked in silence for a good half hour, occasionally sharing a laugh when they came across an embarrassing picture of their guildmates. Suddenly, one photo, in particular, caught Lucy's attention and she stopped cleaning to exam it.

The photo depicted nine Wizards, teenagers by the look of them, in two rows. In the back row was a boy with slicked-back black hair in a golden-brown vest and white dress shirt with a red tie face-palming as a girl with a blonde Mohawk in a studded leather jacket and yellow crop top made devil horns with her hands and had her tongue out. Next to them was a boy with tousled black-hair that covered one eye wearing a long black and white jacket who seemed unbothered by the crow sitting on and pecking his head. To his left was a beaming brown-haired boy in a red t-shirt with his arm around an equally beaming black-haired girl in an orange sleeveless shirt, both had an arm around the other's shoulder as they raised the other into the air.

The front row had a boy with a light-brown pompadour wearing sunglasses and a green flannel shirt giving the camera a thumbs up, much to the irritation of the boy with spiky dark-blue hair and a purple hoodie as his friend rested his elbow on his head. Next to them was a scrawny, bespectacled brunette boy in an oversized grey sweater making a peace sign with each hand as he smiled. And finally next to him was a pouting strawberry-blonde girl in a soft pink dress looking away with a light blush.

Lucy was so busy examining the photo she didn't notice Lyle approaching her.

"What happened over here?" the Guild Master asked. He looked and gasped and bent down to get a better look at the photo. "I don't believe it; I haven's this in years. I thought all the copies had been lost or destroyed."

"Oh, do you know these guys?" Lucy asked she handed Lyle the photo.

"Know them? I'm in the picture, of course I know them."

"Really, where?"

"Down in front, in the grey sweater," he said as pointed to himself in the picture.

"No way! You're so skinny!" Lucy exclaimed. "You kind of look like a nerd; it's hard to believe you're the same person." She laughed and Lyle gave her a flat look.

"This is an old picture of Team Crosshairs from way back in the day, long before you or your teammates were born," Lyle explained with a smile. "We took this the day we officially became a team."

"That's so cool," Lucy said as she examined the photo and found she recognized more people. "Hold on, is that Wakaba?" She pointed to the boy in sunglasses.

Lyle nodded. "Yep, and he's resting his arm on Macao." He pointed to the boy with spiky hair.

"That's so cool you were on a team together," she said before pointing to the girl in the dress. "And that's Amelia! Oh, she looks so cute." As she continued to exam the photo, her brow furrowed in confusion. "But I don't recognize anyone else."

"I'm not surprised," Lyle said with a look of melancholy. "The rest of Team Crosshairs is long gone; me, Amelia, Macao, and Wakaba are all that's left."

Shock spread across Lucy's face at the revelation. "What," she said softly, still reeling from what he'd said.

As his mouth curved into a frown, Lyle sighed and pointed to the boy in the vest. "Ivan, Master Makarov's son and Laxus's father, excommunicated for treason." He pointed to the blonde with the Mohawk. "Lilith, Ivan's wife, divorced him and left the guild after he was kicked out." He pointed the boy and girl with their arms around each other. "My brother Bernard and his wife Helena, sentenced to life in prison." Finally, he pointed to the black-haired boy with the crow on his head. "And Raven, died on a mission."

As he spoke, all Lucy could do was stare with wide eyes. While she'd heard about Laxus's father from her team, she'd had no idea that Lyle and Amelia had been close to him. Hearing him speak in such a sorrowful tone about his brother and other teammates nearly broke her heart. To be part of such a close group of friends and then be torn apart, it made Lucy think if something similar could happen to her and her friends.

"Master Lyle, I…I'm so sorry," Lucy said as tears pricked the corners of her eyes. "I had no idea."

Lyle looked up at her and was taken aback by Lucy's tears. "Hey, it's alright," he said, placing a hand the blonde's shoulder. Slowly his frown was replaced a small if bittersweet smile. "Just because bad things happened, it doesn't make the good times we had any less meaningful."

"Lucy, Lucy," came Mirajane's voice as walked into the storage room. "Oh, there you."

"What's up, Mira," the Celestial Wizard said, quickly wiping her eyes.

"Erza's looking for you; she said your break's over."

"Already," Lucy groaned, dreading what she knew would be a torturous training session. "I'd better get going; if I keep her waiting who knows what she'd do to me." As she reached the storage room's door, she stopped to turn back and wave at Lyle. "See you later, Master."

The Material Master waved back as Lucy disappeared through the door. He took one last look at the photo and pocketed it before returning to cleaning.

Sometime later, after the last few stragglers had left the guild, Lyle was locking up for the night.

"Master Lyle! Master Lyle!" A soft yet chipper voice squawked. The bespectacled man turned and a saw a messenger bird holding a letter in its claws. Lyle recognized the seal of the Rune Knights, in particular, the unique emerald color. "Message for you."

"Thank you, little guy." Lyle said, taking the letter and petting the bird. He then tapped the seal, releasing a small projection of Amelia.

" _Hey, Honey. I hope this letter didn't get to you too late in the day."_ The projection said, earning a chuckle from Lyle. Timing was never one of Amelia's strong suits. But he quickly noticed that the projection's expression turned dower quickly before sighing.

" _There's no easy way to tell you this. But you should know this before word gets out."_ Amelia explained before taking a deep breath. " _Bernard and Helena were released from Gehenna Castle this morning."_

"…what?"

" _According to the report, they were released on 'good behavior.'"_

"Good behavior. GOOD BEHAVIOR?!" Lyle yelled at the top of lungs, punching the wall near him in anger. "HOW THE FUCK DO YOU GET OUT ON GOOD BEHAVIOR FOR A FUCKING LIFE SENTENCE?!"

" _If you ask me, this whole thing stinks of outside involvement. I hate to say it, but I think Ivan and his guild might be involved."_

Hearing that bit only made Lyle more frustrated as he leaned against the wall. "Is…Ivan really going through with it?" He asked himself as he thought back to that horrid day. The day that broke Team Crosshairs.

However, while Amelia's guess was wrong, the couple had no idea what this news was a minuscule part in the chaotic play that was to come.

_To be continued…_


End file.
